The Darken Aura
by Wolfakins
Summary: By a child's 4th birthday, an aura that's has been left around them will determine their role in society. But, many fear their children growing a darkened aura. This dark aura causes fear within the people, creating a place where these children can be 'raised properly'. But, is that true...? Includes a wide assortment of Hetalia characters, as I could not fit them all below.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't let go, Kiku! You can't let go of my hand!"

"Y-Yao-san! W-Why are we running?"

"We can't be caught!" Yao quickly slid around a corner of a rocky wall, pulling Kiku with. They slid into a bush where Yao quickly covered Kiku's mouth to stop his heavy breathing. Yao pushed his body as far against the rocky wall as he could. He held his own breath, hopping not to get caught.

"Y-" Kiku spoke under his hand.

"Shh!" Yao hushed, listening in.

"Where did they go?"

"They ran around here."

"Keep looking. The young one is infected." Kiku glanced up at Yao with worry as Yao narrowed his eyes with a light growl. These kids weren't infected, just different. Instantly, a dark, gloved hand reached into the bush and wrapped its fingers around Kiku's small arm. Kiku eyes widened, along with a scream, as he was yanked from Yao's grip and pulled out of the bush.

"Kiku!" Yao pushed out of the bush and after Kiku, quickly grabbing Kiku's arm. "Let go of him!" Yao scream, pulling Kiku back into his arms. The three voices from before instantly surrounded the 2, directing their large guns at the two threateningly. Kiku instantly ran behind Yao, gripping onto his shirt and lightly shaking. They were going to be shot. They were going to be killed.

"Hand us the kid." One commanded.

"No! Leave him alone!" Yao put his arms out to block Kiku.

"Kid, give him to us. It's too late for you to be anyway. You need to go back home. So, hand us the kid behind you." The second moved his gun, trying to scare Yao.

"No! I'm protecting him!" Yao grit his teeth in anger.

"You're the one needing protection for kids like him." The 3rd spoke.

"We are NOT DANGEROUS!" Yao yelled as a dark purple, almost black aura grew around him and surrounded his body. One that seemed almost twice as large as the dark aura around Kiku. Yao's eyes narrowed as they turned a bright red and his dark brown hair changed into a shade of reddish-brown. Kiku's eyes widened as he slowly backed up from Yao. What was happening to him…?

"He's infected!"

"Shoot him!" The three pulled up their guns. Yao lightly smirked only to dart at the 3 with increased speed. Using his hand, Yao placed them into a chopping position and hit two low pressure points on one of the men. The man groaned in pain as he toppled over, falling to the ground. Grabbing that man's pistol, that was nicely placed in his back pocket, Yao quickly whipped the gun around, aimed and shot at the second one, instantly killing him. The final man quickly began to shoot, ripping multiple shots through the air. Yao quickly jumped from side to side, moving his body in a way that he wouldn't even brush by a bullet. Quickly, Yao raised his pistol and shot exactly one bullet back. The man tried to dodge to the side. Yao smirked. He had aimed the bullet exactly where the man had jumped. The bullet ripped through the man's head, having him flung back with the powerful force and fall to the ground, bleeding out.

Smiling, Yao turned back to Kiku hoping to see a smile. But, all Yao got was a face full of horror. Before Yao could say a word, a slight whistling noise rang through the air as Yao felt a prick on his arm. Quickly, Yao's eyes fell as he fell to the ground. Kiku quickly glanced over from where the dart had come from. To his surprise, and horror, 5 more men stood, aiming at him and Yao. A girl, dressed in all white was seen in the middle of the 5. She smiled at him before one of the men shot at Kiku, shooting an identical dart into his arm. Quickly, Kiku's vision to black out as he too, fell to the ground.

* * *

 **So, I'm not too sure where I'm going with this. I thought of this at, like, 3 in the morning when I couldn't sleep. I'm not too sure if I'm going to continue this, as I don't have too much thought on it. By, hey, you never know. If I get an idea for this story, and enough people actually enjoy this beginning, I'll gladly write more~**


	2. Chapter 2

**~Translation Help~**

 **German-Kathy2378**

* * *

Kids of all ages, from the young age of 4 to the old age of 14, sat on the long, rectangular tables in the large, plain, white room. This was the dining area, as the adults called it. Or, one of the only place they were able to talk freely. Though… None of the kids spoke with one another. Either they couldn't, or they didn't want to. Kids like these were rare among the population, so only a few 'homes' were build for them. Meaning, kids from all around the world were sent to one of the couple locations. This was one of the locations.

Yao and Kiku never left each other since they arrive here all those years ago. Yao couldn't remember what happened that day, but Kiku would never forget it. They never spoke about it, as it made Kiku feel off... He was still fearful of Yao, but not as much as he was when he was young. Throughout the years, Kiku learned that Yao was protecting him. He would never hurt him. So, Kiku stuck to him like glue and never spoke unless he was talking to Yao.

"What did you just call me?!"

"You 'eard me, _chenille_!"

"There they go again, Yao-san…" Kiku spoke quietly, not looking up from his food.

"Aiya…" Yao rolled his eyes. "One day, those two will never be seen again…" A brown haired man walked up to the two quarreling blonds and pushed them apart.

"Stop the fighting, _sí_?"

"He started it!"

"You took my food!"

"You don't even like it, rich frenchie!" The longer haired blond narrowed his eyes and dove at the other blond once more.

"W'at about you, 'uh?! Proper brit!" The blond flipped the longer blond haired boy on his back and brought his fist back, ready to punch him.

"Francis! Arthur! Stop it!" A white haired teen yelled as he stood over top of the two. His pale fingers wrapped around the long blond's arm as the brown haired teen from before grabbed the other's arm, pulling the two apart. The short haired blond ripped his arm from the brown haired man and forcefully turned, marching off.

"You two have to stop fighting, _amigo_ …" The brown haired teen walked over to the other two.

"If Arzer would stop starting it, we wouldn't 'ave zis problem." Francis pulled his arm away to cross his arm.

"Ze next time jou two get into a fight, I'm not helping eizer of jou _und_ boz of jou can be taken off." The white haired male growled lightly. Francis's body slowly relaxed as he looked back at his helper.

"I 'ear you, Gilbert." Gilbert nodded.

" _Gut_." Francis turned to the brown haired male and smiled.

"Want to eat togezer, Antonio, Gilbert?" He glanced back at the white haired male.

"Of course!" Antonio smiled while Gilbert nodded. With that, the 3 sat down and began their conversation.

Friendships, rivalries, and small groups were created in this small 'home'. Fights, both verbal and physical, were common. None of the adults would step in until they felt like stepping in; which it rare at best… And when they did, who ever was in the fight were taken and never seen again. Most children tried to get into fights, just wanting to go home. That is what is believed to happen when the adults here take the children. They were bad and were sent home. Some didn't care to go home. If they're parents let these adults take them away, why would they want their child back?

The sound of a door opening made a majority of the kids sigh. Time was up. One of the adults walked in and stood by the door before shouting.

"Alright, runts! Back to your dorms! OUT!" The man repeated the phrase many different ways, getting all the kids up. Compared to the kids, the adults were always dressed the same. Always covered in some sort of dark blue and black armored clothing, a tainted mask so no kid could see their face, and what most feared, a large, dark, metal gun that most were trigger happy about. Some kids tested their luck against the adults that controlled a gun. A majority of the time if a kid was shot, they were put to sleep and would awake in the morning, but… there were rare occasion where an adult got trigger happy and shot multiple shots. Both the kid shot and the adult were taken and never seen again. Though… high adults could always get away with it.

All the kids stuck close to each other as they were forced down the narrowed, doorless hall and into a long row of doors. They were all assigned rooms where they would sleep. Some rooms were lucky and had 5-8, while some were unlucky and had 20 or more kids. A majority of the rooms held 10-15 and had just enough beds for the kids.

Once Yao and Kiku entered the room the door was forcefully shut and locked with a loud bang and a click. Kiku jumped slightly, like always, while Yao lightly held onto him. Yao lead Kiku over to their bunk like the rest of the kids in their room. Kiku slept on the bottom and Yao slept on the top. The lights were shut off as just about everyone had climbed into bed. And, that was it. That was their day for today. Many laid restless at night atop the brick-like-bed and under the itchy blankets. Most whispered to the others or just to themselves about who knows what. They just wanted to talk, bring back their sanity that was lost throughout the day.

" _Fratello... posso dormire con te?_ " A young voice spoke through the silence. Everyone knew who exactly who the voice belong to and everyone knew exactly who he was speaking too.

" _Perché?!_ " The rougher voice shouted back.

" _...perché non posso dormire..._ " The young voice spoke his sentence quietly, putting the room in silence, waiting for a response.

" _...bene..._ " The sound of rustling was created as the younger climbed up the rusty metal ladder and into the bed with his older twin brother. The two slipped under the covers as the younger twin moved closer for warmth and comfort. The older one sighed, but wrapped his arm around the younger one.

Not even an hour had gone by when Kiku grew restless. Tossing and turning granted no help. Slowly, the young teen slid his pale legs out from the rough blanket, kneeling down on the mattress. Slowly, he crawled over to the open side and slowly rose to see Yao with his back turned to the open.

"Y-Yao-san…" Kiku spoke quietly. Yao's body jerked at the sound of Kiku's voice. Quickly, Yao looked over, just being able to see the tops of the teen's eyes.

"What is wrong, Kiku?" Yao turned his body around to face Kiku.

"I-I do not rike these beds… I cannot sreep…" Yao's eyes softened as the worried look in his younger 'brother'. Slowly, Yao pulled himself up and moved to the side, making room in his bed.

"Come. I will help you sleep." Slowly, Kiku pulled himself up onto the top bunk of the bed and crawled over to the open side, sitting next to Yao, but not close. The young Japanese teen was never one for close contact, expectually after the event with Yao a decade ago. Yao rolled his eyes and wrapped his left arm around Kiku's small shoulder, causing him to freeze up. "Relax, _aru_. You cannot sleep if you are tense. I am not going to hurt you. You know that." Slowly, Kiku's shoulders fell as Yao pulled him a bit closer. Kiku's head slowly fell onto the Chinese teen's shoulder to rest. Yao slowly began to move his hand up and down Kiku's upper arm, trying to calm his nerves and getting him to sleep. Once Kiku had fully relaxed his body Yao rested his own head atop of Kiku and shut his eyes, hoping to get some sleep himself.

"Yao-san…" Kiku's whisper of a voice came.

"Hm?" Kiku's body moved a bit close to the other teen, wanting the warmth he gave off. Of course, Yao didn't protest, liking Kiku's warmth himself.

"I miss _haha_ and _chichi..._ "

"Don't we all." A sarcastic remark came from across the room.

" _Halt die Klappe!_ " A shout and a smack came from the same direction.

"You don't have to hit me!"

"Leave ze ozers alone. Zat is all jou do. Ve all have problems und ve do not need jour remarks!" The way the child spoke gave off a hissing like sound as his accent began to build up in anger. The room of children fell silent as no one spoke, afraid of the backlash from the child. " _Gut_. I thought so."

Yao sighed and turned his attention back to Kiku.

"It will be alright. Do not worry, _aru_." Kiku lightly nodded as he let his eyes rest, wanting some slumber. It took an hour before the room fell completely silent as one by one, the children began to drift off, hoping for a better future. And, that's all they _could_ do; hope.

* * *

 **French** _ **~  
chenille-**_ **caterpillar**

 **~Spanish~  
** _ **amigo**_ **-friend**

 **~German~  
** _ **gut**_ **-good  
** _ **und**_ **-and  
** _ **Halt die Klappe-**_ **shut up**

 **~Italian~  
** _ **Fratello, posso dormire con te?-**_ **brother, can I sleep with you?  
** _ **perché**_ **-why  
** _ **perché**_ **non posso dormire-because I cannot sleep  
** _ **bene**_ **-fine**

 **~Japanese~  
** _ **haha**_ **-mother  
** _ **chichi**_ **-father**

* * *

 **Look! I made a new chapter! So, I've been thinking and I think I got an idea for this story! Yay! (\^-^/)  
I'm so glad you guys read this story and wanted me to continue! With out that, I wouldn't have thought people enjoyed it. All the reviews, favorites, and followers make me really happy. Thank you!  
Thank you 'It's-effing-fusha', 'Taeras', and that one guest user who reviewed it. I'm glad you're enjoying it.  
I did fix that mistake in the last chapter 'JupiterNox' found. Thank you for pointing that out.  
If any of you reading this speak and/or know another language and found that I did something wrong with the languages in this chapter, please feel free to correct me and I will fix it.  
Once again, thank you for enjoying and reading this story~**


	3. Chapter 3

**~Translation Help~**

 **German-Kathy2378**

* * *

Just like every other day in this enclosed 'home', the time was slower than a moving snail. Almost as if it wasn't moving at all. Though, time was irrelevant. It wasn't like any of the children knew what time it was. Either it be time on a clock or a date on the calendar. No one knew anything. They were left to guess. Instead of the plain, boxed food room the children were in, a majority of them rested in a just as boxed room, but less plain. It was rare for children to be allowed in here. In this room, they were given free range to do what they wished with little supervision. They were proved with small things, but none to keep interest too long. At most, they were given pens and pencils, paper, small toys, and little books. It was rare for children to pick up books and paper, as many kids were placed here very young, around the age of 3 and 4. Many were never taught to read or write. If they couldn't even speak together, what makes anyone think they would know to read and write? I guess that was good for the adults; not wanting the children to get any ideas.

" _Hai_?" Kiku asked Yao as they sat side by side in the boxed room. Yao glanced down at the paper Kiku was writing on only to nod. Kiku nodded back and continued to write. Yao had been teaching Kiku Japanese every time they're allowed in this room. The two were taken before Kiku could enroll in a school. He knew how to speak Japanese from talking with his parents and Yao, but he was never taught to read and write it. On the other hand, Yao was. By Kiku's parents. So, as an 'older brother' should, Yao takes it upon himself to teach him everything he can. He is quite thankful that Kiku is a fast learner. Rare time in here causes memory loss in lessons. He can easily pick it up and memorize what he needs to do. So, progress was quick and far.

However, many, many children here didn't have someone like Yao by their side. But, even Yao and Kiku, just like everyone else, had to learn how to speak the common tongue used around the building. Almost everyone taught themselves.

"Let me go! Don't touch me!" A shout, never heard before, echoed throughout the room. Everyone took a quick glanced at each other before the sound of the door to the blank room caught their attention. Looking over, the group of children watched as loud child was being pulled into the room. He squirmed about, trying to pull out of the adult's grasp. He tried running back out of the room, but the adult kept him in place.

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!" The child yelled back. The adult growled and threw the child to the ground and pointed his gun at him, causing him to freeze. Another child, very identical to the one on the ground, quickly ran over to help.

"Don't do anything stupid. Please…" A very light whisper of a voice came from the second child. The first child quickly nodded and was slowly helped up. The adult lowed his gun and huffed before turning back around and walking out. Before anyone could say another word, a different adult walked into the room with another child by his side. This child didn't have to be restrained as he listened to everything the adult told him. He stood perfectly still with no emotion.

 _What was going on? 3 new children…? And they all looked to be older children. They haven't gotten anyone new in years…_

"Beilschmidt." The white haired boy from yesterday blinked as he looked up at the guard from the small group of children he befriended. The guard shoved the 3rd child into the room, having him stumble and quickly catch himself before falling. "He's yours." Was all the adult said before leaving the room and having the door shut against the wall as if there wasn't any door there to begin with.

Gilbert looked back at Antonio and Francis in confusion. All they could do was shrug their shoulders. The white haired teen turned back to the 3rd child as he looked directly at him. Who in the world was he…?

" _H-Hallo_ …?" GIlbert greeted with a question. Did the child even speak German?

" _Hallo_." He lightly spoke. His tone was around the middle of the two from before. It was quiet, but not a whisper. No one spoke. No one wanted to. Yes, they wanted to know exactly who these 3 new children where, but no one was brave enough to ask.

"Ask him what his name is, Gil." Antonio finally broke the silence. Gilbert glanced back at his spanish friend only to lightly nod.

"A-Alright…" Slowly, Gilbert turned back around, meeting eye to eye with the other German once again. " _Wie ist dein Name?_ "

" _Ludwig_." Instantly, Gilbert's eyes widened. Everyone else blinked in confusion. What was so special about his name? It was just a name, right?

" _B-Beilschmidt_ …?" Gilbert lightly asked. The German boy blinked, but lightly nodded.

" _Ja. Ludwig Beilschmidt_." What happened next, no one could predict. Gilbert instantly shot up and quickly walked over to Ludwig. He slowly fell to his knees and lightly grabbed the young German's hands. Ludwig blinked as his eyes never left Gilbert's.

" _M-Mein Name ist Gilbert. G-Gilbert Beilschmidt. I-Ich bin dein Bruder. Du bist mein kleiner B-Bruder_." No one had a clue what Gilbert had just spoken to the child, but they knew it was something important. Ludwig's eyes widened in disbelief while light tears dotted Gilbert's eyes.

" _M-Mein B-Bruder_ …?"

" _Ja_." Gilbert nodded with a light smile. Realization finally hit Ludwig. He quickly wrapped his arms Gilbert's larger form. Gilbert instantly wrapped his large arms around Ludwig and tried not to cry. He was happy. He finally had family again. But… why was Ludwig here…? He shouldn't be. But, Gilbert didn't want to ask just yet. He hadn't seen a family member in so long… years… He just wanted to keep his brother in his arms and never have him leave. It was… warm… nice… peaceful… like they weren't ever in this place they are forced to call home… Slowly the two pulled away and looked back at each other. Light blue eyes like the sky, pure sandy blond hair that covered the tops of his eyes and the tips of his ears. He looked exactly like he did all those years ago when he was born…

"G-Gilbert…?" A voice snapped the white haired teen's mind back into the room. He quickly turned his head around to see all eyes upon the two of them. Most in concern…

" _Ja, ja_." Gilbert smiled and looked back at Francis and Antonio. "Zis is Ludvig. He is _mein Bruder_. My brozer." Everyone in the room, whether or not they cared, was shocked. Gilbert had a brother…? And that was him…?

"B-Brozer…?" Francis asked. Gilbert nodded.

" _Ja_. He was born right before I was taken away… I'll ask him everything that I can later, but right now…" Gilbert looked back at his younger brother. "He can ask anything he wants out of me." Ludwig lightly nodded, already starting to pick up on the common language.

"I'm sorry to burst your family reunion, but what about the other 2?" Arthur spoke up. Everyone's attention was brought to the two almost identical children who were first thrown in here. The first one instantly stepped in front of the second one to protect him.

"Don't touch us!" He yelled with narrowed eyes.

"Whoa! Calm down _amigo_! We're not going to hurt you!" Antonio spoke up.

"I don't trust any of you! You're probably just like the rest of those stupid heads outside! They took us away from mother and father! Now, you're going to take Matthew away from me!" The first child shouted. Slowly, a dark purple aura began to build up around the child as he grew more and more frightened and angered. Kiku was one of the children in the room to instantly become worried and frightened.

"C-Carm him down!" Kiku spoke up to the group. In Kiku's ears, it was a yell, but to everyone else, it wasn't loud. Yao was the only one to blink in surprise. Kiku had… raised his voice…? Even though the shout had gained everyone's eyes, no one moved. "It is important! Carm him down now!" Kiku re-shouted, hoping someone would listen. If Kiku was shouting it must be important... It had to be... Slowly, Arthur stood up and walked over to the two new children. The first boy quickly turned and growled at Alfred, having the darkened aura grow larger.

"Don't touch us!" He barked. From being up close, Arthur was able to watch as the child's eyes turned blood red. Instantly, Arthur knew what was going on.

"I'm not going to hurt you… Just calm down…" The young British boy spoke slowly as he slowly made his way closer, hoping it would calm him down.

"You're going to take Matthew from me! Don't come any closer or I will hurt you!" Slowly, the roots of the child's hair began to fade into a brownish-red.

"We are not going to hurt you. Just calm down…"

"Shut up! Shut up, Shut up, shut up!"

"A-Alfred...! Y-You're scaring me...!"

Instantly, a finger was placed upon the child's forehead. Alfred instantly froze and glanced up. Standing in front of him was none other than Yao. His emotion was neutral and bland, showing he wasn't afraid of the child. Before the child could spat another word Yao quickly mutter something. Slowly, the child fell to his knees. The brownish-red quickly sank back into the scalp, keeping his hair its original golden blond, as his eyes slowly faded into a sky blue, removing all hints of it's once blood red color. Everyone's eyes widened, but none more than the 2nd child, who was forced to stand behind the first.

"Alfred!" He yelled before falling to his knees and crawling around to the front of said boy. Yao slid his hands together under his long, baggy sleeves as he slowly relaxed and glanced down at the boy.

"He is fine. Do not worry." Yao spoke to the child.

"Alfred!"

"M-Matthew…?" Alfred's voice spoke. Slowly, his head rose only to blink. Tears dotted his brother's eyes. "What happened? Why are you crying?!" He instantly grew worried. Matthew threw his arms around Alfred and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Y-You're okay… D-Don't do that again… Never ever…" Alfred blinked, but slowly hugged back. What had happened…? Alfred noticed a pair of shoes in front of him causing him to look up, noticing the Chinese teen.

"Who are you?" Alfred instantly took note of the plain area around him and blinked. "And… where are we…?"

"I am Yao." Alfred looked up at the Chinese teen who stood before him. "This is your new home. Get used to it, aru."

"New home…?" The quiet boy asked.

"W-What do you mean? W-We don't live here!" The first boy spoke up, standing back up. The second boy quickly stood up as well, standing back behind him.

"You do now." Yao turned his back to the two and walked back over to Kiku, sliding down the white wall and sitting next to him.

"What do you mean?!" Alfred repeated, wanting Yao to answer him. But, the teen stayed quiet.

"He means you're going to be living here, like the rest of us." Alfred and Matthew turned to see Arthur walking closer to them. He stopped when he was about 5 feet from the two. His eyes fell directly into the eyes of the first child. "None of us know why we are here, but you're going to have to get use to it. We're not leaving any time soon."

"W-Why not…?" The second child spoke up. Arthur turned his attention to the smaller child to see his eyes filled with worry. Arthur's eyes softened.

"We don't know…"

"Don't worry. Everyzing will be ok, _oui_?" The two children turned to face the french teen, who had a light smile on his face. "Look at us. We 'ave survived zis long. We are 'ere to 'elp you." Light tears peaked through Matthew's eyes as he gave a light nod.

They were going to be ok. Everything was going to be alright. Nothing was going to happen to them.

* * *

 **~Japanese~  
** ** _hai-y_** **es**

 **~German~  
** _ **hallo**_ **-hello  
** _ **Wie ist dein Name-**_ **What is your name  
** _ **ja**_ **-yes**  
 _ **Mein Name ist Gilbert-**_ **My name is Gilbert.  
** _ **Ich bin dein Bruder. Du bist mein kleiner Bruder-**_ **I am your brother. You are my younger brother.  
** _ **Mein Bruder-**_ **My brother**

 **~Spanish~  
** _ **amigo-**_ **friend**

 **~French~  
** _ **oui**_ **-yes**

* * *

 **Yay! 3rd chapter! (\^-^/) I really like where this story is going and I'm glad you're all enjoying it!  
Once again, if you speak and/or know another language and I made a mistake in the translation, or any mistake in general, please tell me and I'll fix it.~  
Thank you and happy reading~**


	4. Chapter 4

**~Translation Help~**

 **German-Kathy2378**

* * *

"Do jou get it now?"

" _Ja_. A-A bit…" Gilbert smiled as his younger brother spoke. He was quick to learn, though wasn't too thrilled. Just like everyone else, Ludwig already longed to go home. He had explained to Gilbert what had happened, making most things clear. Their parents still loved Gilbert and him. They tried to hide Ludwig from the other adults, but word quickly got out. He was able to be hidden for years before anyone found out. Gilbert was instantly taken because the adults instantly found out.

It was amazing to hear that his parents still cared for him. For the longest time, the German teen had the doubt that his parents had just given him away. But, that's what many children here thought, being taken at such a young age. Abandoned by their parents for no reason given.

Gilbert led Ludwig over to a clear table in the boring and plain room. Thankfully, there weren't too many kids this eating period. Many children who couldn't speak with others were thankful for the less kids. Things were quieter and things were peaceful.

"Let's vork on longer sentences und harder vords, _ja_?" Gilbert looked over at his younger German brother. Ludwig glanced up at his older brother with a light nod, not too thrilled, but he knew he had to learn. "So-"

"Gilbert!" Said teen glanced over towards the sound of his name. Running over to him was his Spanish friend, Antonio. He was out of breath and red faced. Once he reached the table, he bent over and placed his hands on his knees.

"Vhat?" Gilbert asked in curiosity.

"F-Francis and A-Arthur are fighting a-again… A-And you know th-that Italian…?"

"The loud one?"

" _Sí_. H-He stepped in a-and the a-adults are trying to take th-them all away…!" Antonio glanced up at Gilbert with a worried look as he caught his breath. The white haired teen rolled his eyes and stood up. He turned to Ludwig, who had watched him stand, with a slight smile.

" _Ich komme wieder._ _Geh nicht zu weit weg_." The blond haired boy nodded in response. Gilbert turned back to Antonio and the two quickly ran off, Ludwig watching them go. Just as he was able to turn back to his food, a light tap caught him off guard. He quickly turned around to see a small boy, maybe about the same age as him, standing with a bright smile on his face. All Ludwig did was blink. The child glanced at the open spot next to Ludwig, having the German boy look over. He wanted to sit…? Sighing lightly, wondering why the child wanted to sit next to him while all the other tables were open, he moved an inch over making the small boy smile. He quickly brought his legs around and sat down with a smile still on his face. Ludwig glanced back over at the child to see him looking at him. His eyes were a bright amber-brown with a spark of hope barely seen. But… why…? Even for being here for a couple days the German boy was able to clearly tell nothing good was ever going to happen to them… but then… why? Why did this child have hope? The two looked at each other eye to eye before the boy spoke.

" _Ciao_!" He smiled with a light wave. Ah, so he couldn't speak either… Ludwig took that as a hello and lightly waved back.

" _H-Hallo_."

"Who are you?" The boy spoke in a heavy accent. He sounded to just be learning as well.

" _Ludwig_."

"Ludwig…?" The child tried to pronounce his name the best he could with his accent. It was off, but close enough. Ludwig lightly nodded. The the auburn haired boy smiled and pointed to himself.

" _Feliciano_!" Ludwig blinked. His name was Feliciano, huh?

"Feliciano…" Ludwig repeated lightly to himself, trying to pronounce it the best he could. He nodded when he got it as close as he could. He looked back up to find the boy still looking at him. He wanted to chat more?

"Years?" Feliciano asked. Ludwig blinked. What did he mean? How old he was?

" _Zehn_." The blond German held up 10 fingers, showing his age. Feliciano's eyes widened.

" _Dodici_!" The child held up 10 fingers then flashed 2 more. 12?! This young looking boy was 2 years older than him?! Feliciano could see his surprise and nodded, telling he wasn't lying. Ludwig sighed and glanced back at his food. He found himself no longer hungry… great… Just as Ludwig was about to stand up, another poke came from his arm. Blinking, he looked back down to see Feliciano looking up at him. Once Feliciano was notices he turned his head, making Ludwig follow. Sitting across the room, all alone, sat a small-looking, black haired man; Kiku. Before the German could say a word, Feliciano's small fingers wrapped around Ludwig's arm and pulled him over to the lonely boy. Ludwig's eyes widened as he tried to pull his arm away, but the small boy was surprisingly strong.

Quickly, the two reached the lonely black-haired boy. Ludwig managed to free his arm and stand still as Feliciano kept bouncing up and down slightly. Why was this child so eager to meet him and this other child?

" _Ciao_!" Feliciano's voice rang through the empty part of the room. The teen froze and slowly glanced up, having his deep brown eyes widen once he say the two. The teen looked like he wanted to run off, far away, but he managed to hold himself still. For a good solid minute, no one spoke. Feliciano cocked his head to the side, with a blink. " _Caio_." The child repeated. Kiku slowly blinked, but swallowed his spit and spoke.

" _Konnichiwa_ …" His voice didn't even break a whisper. Even in his short time here, Ludwig could tell that this child was very close with the one he was always around. He's quiet, even while the other was with him. To be without him must be terrible…

"Ozer?" Ludwig asked. Feliciano and Kiku glanced at Ludwig in surprise. Kiku cocked his head to the side slightly, not understanding. Ludwig raised his hand above his hand and repeated. Kiku seemed to understand. He turned he head looking towards the direction he had gone in. Ludwig and Feliciano followed, taking note that Gilbert went in that same location. Feliciano nodded and turned back to the black haired boy.

" _Feliciano_." He smiled, placing a hand on his chest. Kiku turned back to Feliciano and blinked. Realizing what Feliciano had said, he lightly bowed his head.

" _Kiku_." Feliciano smiled with a nod. Quickly, both pairs of eyes landed on Ludwig. A light dust of pink covered his cheeks, not used to the attention.

" _L-Ludwig_." Kiku nodded whiled Feliciano smiled.

"Me and Ludwig friends?" Both Ludwig and Kiku's eyes widened, looking back at the happy child. Friends? They had just met! Not even 20 minutes ago!

"Y-You want to be friends…?" Kiku spoke with an accent. He couldn't exactly speak perfectly; no one in this place could. But, it was a lot better than Feliciano's and Ludwig's speech. Feliciano quickly nodded.

" _Sì_! _Sì_!" Kiku glanced back at Ludwig. Slowly. Ludwig sighed and shrugged his shoulders as a, 'why not?' Turning back to Feliciano, Kiku lightly nodded back.

"H- _Hai_..." Feliciano's eyes widened as the smile on his face grew larger.

"Yay!" He quickly grabbed Ludwig's hand and pulled him down onto the seat, quickly sitting down next to him.

This was new for all 3 of them. A friend? In a place like this? It was rare for children to group together with friends. Most thought that, one day, they were all just going to be taken like all the other children. But, some _do_ try. So… Why not try out this friendship? What would the problems would arise from a useless friendship between 3 random children who could barely speak to each other?

* * *

 **~German~  
** _ **Ja**_ **-Yes**  
 _ **Ich komme wieder-**_ **I will be back** _ **  
Geh nicht zu weit weg-**_ **Do not go too far  
** _ **Hallo**_ **-Hello  
** _ **Zehn**_ **-Ten**

 **~Spanish~  
** _ **Sí-Y**_ **es**

 **~Italian  
** _ **Ciao**_ **-Hello  
** _ **Dodici-**_ **Twelve**  
 _ **Sì-Yes**_

 **~Japanese~  
** _ **Konnichiwa-**_ **Hello  
** _ **Hai**_ **-Yes**


	5. Chapter 5

"So… How do we get out?" The blond haired boy, Alfred, questioned.

"We don't." Arthur bluntly responded.

"We're stuck here…?" Alfred's 'brother', Matthew, asked.

" _Oui_." Francis looked down at the small child.

"I wanna go home…" Alfred looked down at his folded hands in his lap. having nothing to do with them.

"We all do. Until someone comes for us, we're stuck here." The British teen lightly placed his hand atop Alfred's head and lightly ruffled his hair with a sign. Matthew looked down as well, trying not to cry. He missed his parents. He missed his bed. His home. His yard. He missed his old life already.

"Well! We should probably get you informed on w'at goes on around 'ere, so you're not too lost, hm?" The French teen suggested. Arthur glanced up at Francis with a light nod.

"Right." He looked back down at Alfred and Matthew, who had glanced up at him in wonder. "We're given 3 meals a day and assigned bedrooms. Every once and awhile you will be allowed to enter a room that you can do whatever you wish in. But, we mainly stay in here and get food when the time comes. Bathrooms are over to the right if you need."

"Are there any other kids here?" Alfred asked curiously.

"W'o you saw earlier and w'o you see now is about 'alf of us" Francis explained. "Zere are more zat live in ze build, but it is rare if we see zem. Zat only time is w'en we all 'ead off to sleep." Alfred nodded. Matthew glanced between the 3 only to realize something.

"H-Who are you…?" The child spoke lightly. Francis and Arthur blinked, looking down at the child.

"Oh~ We never gave introductions, did we?" Francis smiled lightly. The two children shook their heads. "Well~ I am Francis. And, I come from France."

"My name is Arthur." The 2 children turned to look at the other teen. "I come from England. What about you two?"

"I'm Alfred! And that's Matthew! I live in America and Mattie lived in Canada! My dad knows his dad and so we see each other often!" Alfred smiled as he spoke. Matthew nodded, showing Alfred was right.

"Alfred and _Mathieu_ …" Francis spoke with a light smile. Matthew have a light smile here his name in French. It reminded him of home…

"You two have been out in the world longer than any of us can hope to see." Arthur explained, making Alfred and Matthew blink. "What is it like? What is the world like out of this prison? What do you get to do? Get to see? What is the world?" Matthew glanced back at Francis to see the same look in his eyes as Arthur did. Curiosity. Wonder. Interest. Everything and anything. They wouldn't care, they won't know, if you straight up lied to them. They would believe anything and everything they were told about the outside world. Everyone just wants some sort of information. No matter if it's true or false.

The room had gone silent. Even more than it always was. Alfred and Matthew looked at each other before looking around, seeing almost everyone's eyes on the 4 of them. They wanted to know too…

"W-Well… I-I live a little bit on the outside of town. My house is big compared to my friends. We have a lot of trees and they're really green in the summer. In the fall, they turn red and orange and brown and fall off the branches, snow sticks to the branches in the winter, and in the spring, they turn white and pink from all the flowers."

Some of the children moved a bit closer, wanting to listen in.

"In the fall, we rake up all the leaves into a giant pile and then we jump into them for fun. In the winter we pack the snow together and build forts and snowmen and have snowball fights. And in the spring we pick colorful flowers and give them to our moms. We have water gun fights and we go swimming in pools in the summer."

"What about other people? What are they like?" Antonio asked with wonder.

"W-Well… most of the people are really nice…" Matthew lightly spoke. "We make friends in school and we play with them after our homework is all done. The teachers are really nice as they teach us everything we need to know. When mama and papa take me into town with them a lot of people are really nice and help us out if we need it. Sometimes mama and papa get into fights with other people because they were mean."

"Everyone seems a lot nicer than in here…" Someone whispered lightly, but everyone nodded. None of the adults were nice in here. Slowly, everyone began asking questions about the outside, normal, everyday, world. A world they could never imagine living in ever again. Alfred and Matthew did they best to answer every question thrown their way. There a lot they couldn't answer, disappointing some. They could never answer those questions. Never ever. At least… not now…

* * *

 **~French~  
** _ **Oui**_ **-Yes  
** ** _Mathieu-_ A French way of saying Matthew**

* * *

 **Sorry this one is so short. I didn't know what to put in this one exactly... Alfred and Matthew's chapter, as well as Ludwig's chapter was to let them get used to their new environment. But, part of me wants to write a bit more on the other children... Like Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis's friend group or on Feliciano and his brother... I don't know, maybe. If you want me to write another chapter like these last two, let me know and I'll gladly add another one, or two, chapter(s) like this.  
Thank you for reading and I'll glad you're all enjoying it. If you're not, tell me how I can improve my writing, but not in a way that completely changed the story. Thank you for reading and thank you for reviewing~  
**


	6. Chapter 6

"Get Up! Get up you little shits!" A loud shout rang through the sleeping room as each and every single one of the doors were busted open with a loud bang against the walls. Children jumped awake as the bang, some even falling off the bed in fright. All of the children, young and old, were thrown into racing hearts. The younger ones began crying, afraid of the adults and their shouts. The older children had to quickly calm them down while trying to wake those who did not awake from the loud bang. Some managed to stay calm despite the situation, thankfully. The little ones needed calm ones, to help calm down their cries.

A 100, or so, kids were being forced out of their sleeping rooms and forced to walk down the long hallway. No one with a single clue on where they were going or what was happening. This had never happened them in this place they dared call , what was going on? Children stuck close to one another, whether it be friend, foe, or total stranger, afraid of upsetting the adults even more than they already seemed.

Kiku hung close to Yao, even though there was no physical contact between the two. This was close enough for him. Feliciano practically stuck his body against his brother's body, while his brother was just as scared. He, himself, hid behind Antonio, wanting to hide from the adults. Of course, Antonio did not mind, protecting the two with all that he could. Ludwig walked side-by-side with Gilbert. Gilbert wanted him to hold onto him like Feliciano and his brother, but the most he got was a light hand hold. Alfred and Matthew held hand-in-hand with each other while holding onto Arthur and Francis's hands; Alfred's in Arthur's and Matthew's in Francis's.

The large group of children were split off into 5 separate rooms, each housing about 15-30 kids each. Yao was, thankfully, able to stay with Kiku, just as the rest of the children were able to stay by the ones they were closest. Though, the large mass of children were forced in separate rooms. Upon being forced in, the children were taken by surprise.

The walls were a bright shade a white, whiter than the walls that were already bleached into their brains. But, it was the ground that shocked them the most. On the ground, was a vibrant blue flooring. But, this flooring was different than the rest of the building. Stepping on it, the blue floor was very soft to the bare-footed children, which most were. It was the softest thing they touched, for most, in years. From the touch of the soft floor, many children were able to calm their nerves and relax a bit, just a bit.

Adults walked in and forced the children to stand in a straight line across the room; shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip all the way across the room. 3 men stayed in each room as the remaining adults stood outside. The large doors smashed shut with a loud bang, resulting in some jumped from the children. Two of the three men in the room stood next to the door, both on opposite sides. It was easy to tell that both of the adults had loaded guns and ready to fire if a child stepped out of line. The 3rd adult in the room, the one standing directly in front of the door, maybe a couple feet forwards, had some sort of weird looking box in his hand. He looked to be pressing something on the box-like-device with a stern face. Weird lights on the top of the box began to light up, making the stern man nod. He turned his head up and glanced over all the children he was currently stuck with.

"It seems you runts have learned a thing or two from your stay here." He growled as he marched closer to the line of children, having some of them back up. "Ya'll are to stay in this line until we're done! Don't move! Don't speak! Don't do anything that will make us shoot ya'." Some of the children shook in fear. The man smirked before walking over to the first child in the line. He looked down at the device as he pointed it at the young girl. She tried her best to stand still, mainly by holding her breath. The man quickly moved on to the next child in line, having the girl sigh in relief and calm her nerves back down.

As the man walked down the line his lips seemed to twitch before pulling a child out of line. The children who were pulled out shook in fear, huddling together. Why were they pulled? What was going to happen to them? Where they being taken back home? Please, oh please, let that be the case…

Once the man reached the end of the line he turned back to the men standing by the door and nodded. One of the men walked over to the door and opened it up. The second adult shoved the children pulled out the door with the tip of his out the door, all the children, in line or not, could see children walking past quickly with an adult shoving them forward. Where ever they were being taken of too, the pulled children in this room were going there as well. As the last child left the room the door was, once again, slammed shut. Only about half remained in the nice room, still in their line. What was going to happen to them…? Where they going to die…?

"Alright! Listen up!" All attention was brought back to the main adult in the room. He glanced over all of the children, making sure all eyes were on him. "We are going to do one more run down and ya'll can leave! Same rules as last time! Don't do somethin' stupid that you'll get shot for!" The adult walked over to the beginning of the line, pushed something different on his little box, and began, starting at the beginning of the line. This walked through was very quick compared to his last trip down the line. But, once he got to Kiku, he stopped.

Kiku instantly froze and his hand instantly gripped onto Yao's in fear. Yao held back, trying to tell him it will be alright. The man eyes the device before glancing up Kiku's body. Slowly, the man's eyes met the the dark brown eyes the Japanese teen held.

"Would ya' look at that?" The man smirked. "The little runt who pointed out the outbreak." Confusion met with Kiku's eyes. _What…?_ The man's eyes quickly moved to the right, noticing two hands locked together. Following up the linked arm, the man came eye to eye with Yao's narrowed eyes. "Who's this? Your mommy?" He teased.

"I am not a woman, _aru_!" Yao barked at the man. The adult eyes quickly narrowed. Quickly, Yao was shot down to the ground by the man's slap as it echoed throughout the room.

"Yao- _san_!" Kiku turned around, going to help Yao back to his feet. Before Kiku could lower his body, his arm was quickly, and roughly, grabbed. Looking back, Kiku's eyes widened in fear as the adult hand grasped his arm. Instantly, Kiku began trying to pull out of the adult's grasp. " _Iie! Iie! Watashi ga okonatte miyou! Yameru!_ Yao- _san_!" The man's grip was strong. Too strong to pull away from.

"Don't you have a voice?" The adult remarked as he narrowed his eyes, pulling Kiku back to him with a heavy tug. A yip of pain came from Kiku as a result. A hand latched onto Kiku's free arm. Instantly, Kiku's eyes widened in fear. Pulling as hard as he could, the teen tried using all of his strength to pull away from the man.

"Do not touch him! Give him back to me!" Yao's voice caught the young Japanese teen's attention. Looking up, he saw Yao trying to pull him back into him. The other hand wasn't the adults, but Yao's…

"Y-Yao- _san_!" Kiku tried pushing his body over to Yao's and away from the adult's. Sadly, the adult's grip was too strong. The man's other arm wrapped around Kiku's small body and pulled, hard. Kiku's arm was instantly forced out of Yao's grasp.

"No!" The Chinese teen yelled. He went to grab Kiku's arm once more, but the adult had other plans. Bringing up his foot, the adult kicked Yao's gut, shoving him back down to the ground with a thud.

"Yao- _san_!" Kiku yelled. Yao didn't move. The Japanese teen wiggled around, trying to break free of the man's grasp. But, that only resulted in the man's grip to tighten, barely giving Kiku any sort of chance to move. Even so, Kiku continue to try and pry away from the man, to help Yao. But... to no avail.

"Watch him. I'm taking this one. Block him if he charges after. If he get's too rough, shoot him." Kiku's eyes widened in fear as the man began to move towards the door.

"No! _Iie_!" At the sound of Kiku's shouts, Yao's eyes slowly opened. He slowly began to push himself up, dragging up a coughed. Glancing up, his vision was weak. Blurs was all he got. He could make out was the children huddled together, afraid of the conflict. Looking back, the two adults with guns began closing in on him. And, as his vision began to fade out, he could make out Kiku's small body trying to reach back to him for help.

"K-Kiku…!" Was the only word Yao spoke before blacking out in pain.

* * *

 **~Japanese~**  
 ** _Iie_ -No** _  
_ ** _Watashi ga okonatte miyou-_ Let me go** _  
 **Yameru-**_ **Stop**

* * *

 **Sorry this one took me so long. I had it done, I just didn't have time to go through it to edit, add, and revise. Thank you for being patient with me.  
If you know Japanese and I made a mistake, please inform me and I will fix it.  
Thank you all for reading, following, and reviewing~ Happy Reading~**


	7. Chapter 7

"Alfred… It'll be ok…" Arthur lightly spoke as he slowly kneeled down in front of the American child as he sat on the edge of the lower bunk. His golden blond hair covered his darkened face as he looked at the ground, hand in hand. He didn't want to look at anyone. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn't want to do anything. No. Not without him…

" _Oui_. It will be alright, _enfant_." Francis slowly took a seat next to the young American. "We will get 'im back." Francis reached behind, wanting to place his hand on Alfred's back, to calm him down. Before Francis could lay a finger on the child, Alfred forcefully tore away from the bed. He stumbled across the room, before quickly stabling himself. His fists began shaking as he balled them up.

"Get him back?!" Alfred shouted. He whipped around shoving his glaring eyes in Francis's and Arthur's direction. "You think we can just get him back?! You said it yourself! We can't do anything in this place! Nothing! We're stuck here! What makes you think we can get him back?!" Alfred continued to shout at the two, even as he began running out of breath. "I was supposed to protect him! Take care of him! And all I did was let Mattie get taken from me…" Alfred's head fell as his fists trembled with emotion. Hate. Fear. Worry. Sadness. He couldn't stop his long time family friend from being taken. He couldn't fight back. He couldn't push through. He couldn't do anything… Nothing could save the one part of home he had left…

Arthur slowly stood back up and began to walk over to Alfred. They had just meet a month ago, but Arthur had already taken him under his open and damaged wings. The two year difference between the two meant nothing to the older. He was going to be a big brother to the American, give him the love and protection he was never given by his elder brothers.

As Arthur got a foot away from the American boy, he slowly fell to his knees

"It will be alright, Alfred. You did the best you could, but we couldn't let you get hurt. How would Matthew feel if he knew you got hurt?" Alfred tried to clear his throat, not wanting Arthur to know he was crying silently. But, it didn't help.

"H-He would be worried a-and he would blame himself…" Alfred sniffled. Arthur reached his hands up and lightly placed them on Alfred's upper arms, rubbing them to calm him down.

"Exactly. So, it will be alright. We'll try to find him the best we can. But, until then, you have to be strong for him, alright?" Light tears rolled down Alfred's face, tapping the floor as he nodded. Francis walked over with a light smile on his face, kneeling down next to Arthur.

"Zing of 'ow _Mathieu_ will look at you w'en we find 'im. Brave, strong, determined. 'E'll look up to you more zen 'e did before." Alfred nodded once more. Before either of the older teens could say a word Alfred quickly threw himself on top of Arthur, wrapping his arms around the Englishman's neck. He buried his head in the crook of Arthur's neck and cried. Arthur's and Francis's eyes softened in worry. Arthur positioned himself to sit crossed-legged on the ground, allowing Alfred to get closer. Wrapping his arms around Alfred's small form, Arthur pulled him even closer for comfort.

Francis slowly move to sit on the ground as well, just looking at the two. They had only known each other for just over 2 months yet Arthur was acting like his long lost brother. Admittedly, he himself has always wanted a sibling. He was forced out of his home when he was very young. He had no clue if his parents planned on having another child or if one was already on the way. But… what was he going to do about it? Nothing. He can't do a thing about it…

Arthur lightly rubbed circles around Alfred's back, hoping it would help the American calm down. And, to Alfred, it helped greatly. Slowly, the child began to calm his cried and sobs only to rest his quiet, heated head on Arthur's shoulders. Closing his eyes, Alfred let his mind race.

 _What if Matthew was being hurt? Was he being tortured?! Threatened?! What if they're going to kill him?! No… I got to stay positive… I have to… I'm going to find you Mattie. Me and Arthur and Francis, we're coming to find you. I'm going to be like all those men in our story books. I'm going to be the hero… Hero… A hero for you_ _Mattie…_

* * *

 ** _~French~  
_ _Oui_ -Yes  
 _Enfant-C_ hild**  
 ** _Mathieu-_ French way of saying Matthew  
**

* * *

 **So~ It's not just Kiku that was taken, but also Matthew! Haha! Surprise! I have something planned for these two, just you wait~ Though, you might hate me for it ;P  
Thank you all for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy~ Until next time, happy reading~**


	8. Chapter 8

There was a light feeling against his cheek that made the Japanese teen slowly come out of what seemed like an plain of darkness. Releasing a light groan in response the feeling instantly stopped, leaving Kiku be. His eyes twitched as his body began arriving back into reality.

"Oh? Are you waking?" A voice spoke. But, none which he had heard before. So who... Who was speaking to him...? Very slowly, his body began obeying his command, allowing his eyes to slowly peek open. What he saw caught him off guard enough to tumble away and off whatever he was laying on, smacking onto the cold, hard ground. Instantly, his hands when to throbbing head, grabbing it in pain. "Are you alright?" There was concern in the voice's question. As if he was genuinely worried about him. Slowly, Kiku's eyes opened once more to see a pair of plain, brown boots. Slowly, his eyes trailed up the body to see a boy towering over top of him. As if one push would force the boy onto him.

Just like the Japanese teen thought, there was concern written all over his face. The boy really did care about his health. But, what caught Kiku by surprise was the fact that this boy's attire looked... New. Almost brand new.

The man, or older teen rather, wore a simple pair of clothing. A red t-shirt rested underneath a black long-sleeved jacket. His jeans were a dark blue and rested over to of the simple brown boots. Around his neck rested was a slightly dirtied white scarf with the tips just barely missing the floor as it hung behind him. Though, the room that the two were in felt just a bit too warm to wear a scarf, expectantly of that thickness. Two things caught the Japanese teen by surprise. One, was the child's hair. His hair rested just over his eyes and ears as it was shaded a platinum blond color. In the front bangs there was a single solid strip of light brown. The other, was his eyes. They were a slightly darker shade of lavender, but his left eye had hints of bright red swirls mixed in.

" _H-Hai..._ I-I am arright..." Kiku slowly pushed himself to stand but his eyes quickly moved down to the ground, not wanting to look at the man. The fact that Kiku couldn't deal with new people easily played a major part, but it was the fact that this guy... this teen... he gave off a very weird, and very disturbing, feeling that didn't settle well with him.

The man cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"You sure you are alright? You do not seem that way..." Kiku quickly nodded, not wanting to speak. The teen went silent for a little. "Is it... Are you afraid of me...?" Kiku stayed quiet. He tried to play it off as nothing, but in all honesty, Kiku was terrified. Scared for his life.

No clue where he was. No clue who this man was. No clue where anyone else was. What if this teen tried to hurt him? Who would help him, if anyone even would?

"I would highly advise against your current mood towards me staying how it is. You do not wish to make me, your ally, an enemy." The man's voice stayed in it's child-like-tone, but there was a certain added effect that man Kiku shiver in fear. But, what this teen said confused the Japanese teen.

"A-Arry…?" Slowly, Kiku looked up at the teen in confusion. Instantly, the teen smiled.

" _Da_! Of course!" The teen quickly latched his hand onto Kiku's arm. Kiku's eyes widened. "Come! The other is waiting for you!" He smiled and began to pull Kiku along with him, not given the Japanese teen a chance to do a thing to prevent it.

"W-Wait! H-Who are you? W-Where am I?" Kiku began asking, realizing he never asked the basic questions to begin with. The teen turned his head back around as his continued to walk.

"I am called _Ivan_." The teen smiled his child-like smile. "I am from _Rossiya_! My country has many names for different people, but most just call it Russia."

"R-Russia…?" Kiku questioned. Instantly, Ivan stopped. "Ivan…?" Kiku blinked as he tried his best to pronounce the foreign word.

" _Rossiya_ , Russia. The Great Motherland of the North?" Kiku just stared at the Russian teen in confusion. _What was Ivan trying to get at?_ "When were you brought to this place?" Ivan questioned, trying a different approach. Kiku looked down as he tried to remember.

"I was very young as I do not remember much... Yao- _san_ believes I was about three..." Kiku looked back up at Ivan to see him sigh.

"Ah, that explains much." Ivan smiled once more. "We will talk more about where I am from later, but we must continue first." Once more, Ivan continued to drag along the younger teen having him stumble after.

"B-But, where are you taking me...?" Kiku tried asking, hoping for a response. All the Russian did was smile.

"You will see~" Sighing lightly, Kiku gave up. He wasn't getting, nor ever going to get, any sort of answer from this teen on anything he would ask. But, what Ivan said got him thinking. There was a whole other world out there. One that he never knew about. He's heard many similar things for other children in this place.

 _I'm from France  
_ Espania _! But, most people just call it Spain  
_ _We're from what people call Germany  
_ _I am Chinese, while you are Japanese  
_ _I'm from America_

But... what were these places? France, Germany, Spain, China, America, Russia... What was all these words, these places, that everyone always talked about? Yao had told him once before about Japan. It was the nation where he was born and was taken from. But, he has never seen what this 'Japan' looked like, or where it was compared to all these other places and names in the world. He would have to ask later...

As the Japanese teen was dragged, all he could do was look. And when he looked, he found many things. Ivan dragged him pas many different rooms, glassed windows, and opened spaces. There was these were devices many people, of all kinds, sat at. Some watched these devices while some were typing. Some people walked freely from room to room, doing whatever they please. Everyone was well-kept, well-fed, well-dressed. It was very different from the place he was placed in and grew up in. Almost the complete opposite... So... what is this place…?

"I'm back~" The teen's accented voice brought Kiku's head back around. The Russian had dragged him into a completely different part of the weird place he had woken up in. The room was large, almost twice as large as the biggest room he was allowed in. There were many different children here as well, but a majority of them looked more like him... appearance and health wise. There at least one person, like Ivan, in here, standing and talking to the children like him. He could make out any of the conversations, but they all sounded to be about the same thing. There were many tall tables with little thin tables next to them. Some of the small tables had different items, like cloth and water, for the children like him. Walking all the way to the back of the large room Kiku came eye to eye with a very familiar blond haired boy.

He was slightly shaking, probably from the Russian's presence if Kiku didn't know any better. He still had the same clothes he arrive in months ago and was being forced to sit on a small table and wait. When Ivan walked up the the blond with a smile on his face, the blond froze.

"Look, Mattie~ I brought a friend~" His smile grew. Kiku's eyes didn't leave Matthew's. He was young compared to himself, a 3 year difference, but sitting up on the table made him look even younger. Almost brought back to his young age as he shook. The way Matthew looked sitting up there made Kiku's eyes fill with sorrow. _They had taken him too? Why? For what reason?_ "You've seen each other before, _da_?" Matthew light nodded, seeming as if he didn't want to hesitate in front of the Russian. But, Ivan didn't even notice the Canadian, let alone look at him. "Why am I asking? Of course you do! We watched~" He smiled before turning back to Kiku to see a confused, yet shocked expression on his face. The Russian cocked his head to the side as his smile faded. "What seemed to be the matter?"

"W-Watching us…?" Kiku spoke softly. Ivan blinked but nodded with a light smile.

" _Da_! Of course! That is what we do here. And, you will too~" Ivan turned to the right, grabbing a stack of what seemed to be clothes. He flipped through the clothing before nodding and turning back to the two. "Come, follow me. You need to look presentable before we continue." The Russian turned and began walking towards the door. Matthew and Kiku looked at each other in confusion before slowly following, afraid of what might happen if they didn't.

The two followed Ivan down a small hallway before arrive at a small side room. He stopped before turning back to the two with a light smile on his face. He handed them both of them half the stack of clothes he was carrying before looked down at them.

"Wash up and get ready. Meet me back in the room we just left from." Instantly, Ivan's eyes narrowed as his smile dropped. "And do not walk off. If I find that you do, well don't expect to continue on this Earth." Matthew and Kiku nodded quickly as they shook; Matthew more than Kiku. A smile reappeared on the Russian's as he returned to normal. " _Khorosho_! Return to me when you are done~" With that, Ivan turned his back to the two and walked back down the hall.

"K-Kiku…" The Japanese teen blinked as the outfit was was currently wearing was lightly pulled at. Looking down, Matthew was looking up at him in worry. "I-I want to go back… I-I don't like it here…" Kiku's eyes softened.

"I do not either. But, it wirr be arright." Kiku looked up and into the room they were supposed to go in. It looked safe enough... "Come on, I wourd rike if we did not upset Ivan any more." Matthew lightly nodded before turning and walking in. Kiku glanced around the area with slightly narrowed eyes. There was something off... He could feel it... Almost like there was... someone watching him... Kiku sighed when he found nothing. It was just his own paranoia... _I should have known_... So, Kiku turned towards the room and took a step in, before something latched onto his arm. Quickly, his head whipped around in fear, thinking it was Ivan, only to blink. There stood a child, only about a year or two younger than his own age. The thing was... He looked eerily similar to Yao... His short brown hair, his plain brown eyes, his red outfit with slightly longer sleeves... Who...?

Before Kiku could open his mouth to speak, the boy took the clothes from Kiku's arms and placed a different set in them. The teen blinked and looked down at his newly handed clothes.

"Trust me, you'll enjoy this one 10 times better than this dumb outfit, Kiku. You haven't worn one in years so I doubt you'd feel comfortable in it. Plus, you'll be able to move about a _lot_ better." The boy shook the clothes he took from Kiku before tossing them in the garbage can next to him. "Stupidsterotypes…" He spoke under his breath. Kiku blinked as he looked at the child in front of him.

"Who are you...? H-How do you know my name...?" Kiku finally asked. The child looked up at Kiku before turning his back to the Japanese teen.

"Didn't the Russian tell you? We watch you guys. That's what we do." The boy shrugged. "Now, my name? I have no need for my name. I have abandoned it just as I was." The boy stopped before glancing back at Kiku. "But... You _will_ be joining us..." Quickly, the boy turned his head back and began to walk off. "Call me Leon if you must. If anyone asks, I didn't give you those garments." With that, the boy walked off and into a separate room. Kiku blinked and looked down at his new clothes he was given. _Leon... What an odd name for someone like him... I want to know more on what he means..._

"Kiku?" Matthew's small voice spoke from within the room, causing the teen to turn back around.

" _Hai_. I am coming." With that, Kiku walked into the room, wondering who exactly that boy was.

* * *

 **~Japanese~  
 _Hai_ -Yes  
**

 **~Russian~  
 _Da_ -Yes  
 _Rossiya_ -Russia  
 _Khorosho-_ Good  
**

 **~Spanish~  
 _Espania-_ Spain  
**

* * *

 **Hello! I realize I haven't updated in a week, but I was having a problem on figuring out what I wanted to do next. As you read, I decided to let you guys know what happened to Matthew and Kiku. I could have let you wonder, but that will happen in the next chapter~ It also took me awhile to figure out how to write these next chapters... '-_- sorry... But! I did post one! That's a plus~  
The reason this one is posted later than usual, is because my schedule was kinda messed up and I only have time now. I could wait till tomorrow, but I want to post this one now. I try to have a consistent time to post these as I like to have consistency with everything I do ^-^  
**

 **If you speak any of the language present, please informed me if I wrote something incorrectly and I will fix it. Tell me what I can improve on and what you liked. Thank you all for enjoying what I write and I'm glad to continue~ Happy reading~**


	9. Chapter 9

"Welcome back~" Ivan's voice chimed as Kiku and Matthew reentered the room. The two walked all the way to the back of the room, stopping and standing in front of the Russian. Once Ivan noticed the Japanese's outfit though, a light scowl made its way on his face.

Both Kiku's and Matthew's outfits were very plain, but it was comfortable to say the least. Matthew wore a white undershirt with a red and black plaid, long-sleeved jacket-like-top over it. His pants were a pair of dark blue jeans that reached all the way down past his brown shoes; they were a bit big on him. His hair shined and gave off a light wave from the recent wash but there was this one strain of hair, one with a loop at the end, that wouldn't stay down with the rest of his hair. But, he didn't really mind. That piece of hair never really stayed down anyway. Kiku's outfit consisted of mainly white. He wore a black undershirt with a pure white long-sleeved, un-buttoned jacket over top. His pants were a light enough shade of dark blue to be just one shade lighter than a regular blue color. His raven black hair was sleek, finally being able to get a good, needed wash.

"Kiku?" At the sound of his name, the Japanese teen looked up at Ivan. Ivan looked at him directly eye-to-eye. "Where is outfit I gave you?" Almost instantly, Kiku froze.

"I-I... W-Werr..." Kiku looked down at his feet, avoiding Ivan's hint of a glare. "I-I tried on the outfit you had given me-it was a very nice outfit-but... I-I did not feel comfortable in it... I-It felt a bit unnatural... I-I found this in the room a-and tried it on..." Kiku held his breath, hoping Ivan would buy it. Ivan released his breath as his eyes lightly closed, calming himself down.

" _Shtraf_. Just follow me. We have one last thing to do before you can work with us." The Russian turned and walked out a door. Kiku and Matthew glanced at each other before quickly following along. The two followed him over to a long, dark hallway with very little light. Once Ivan began walking down it, the two quickly caught up to walk behind him. Minutes of silence followed as no one spoke. No one was around and the two were still slightly frightened by the Russian.

"Ivan..." Matthew's voice broke the silence, as he looked up at the Russian. "W-Why do we have to work with you...?" Instantly, Kiku's eyes widened as Ivan stopped walking. Slowly, the Russian turned around and looked down at Matthew. Matthew froze in his spot too afraid to move even his eyes from Ivan's.

"Well, because boss said you two are very special out of the bunches of kids you were living with."

"S-Speciar...?" Kiku echoed the Russian. Ivan nodded.

" _Da_! You will see~" Ivan turned and continued to lead the 2 down the hall. As they walked down the hallway the outside light got dimmer and dimmer, almost to the point where they couldn't see the person in front of them. Thankfully, before it got that dark blue lights began to line the bottom parts of the walls, allowing them to see once more.

 _'You are Kiku, huh?'_ Kiku blinked as he looked around. Matthew and Ivan continued to walk as if they didn't hear what was just spoken. There was no one else around them... so... who spoke to him...? _'I thought you of arr these asshores would know. I mean, you did watch what happen to Yao years ago, did you not? Of course you did. I was there. Watching. Right alongside you.'_

Kiku staggered to the side, pushing himself against the wall to hold himself up. His legs grew weak, making it difficult to stand. One of his hands moved up and grabbed his head as it began to throb. Kiku held back his cries of pain, hoping it would go away. But, all it did was increase in pain. Glancing up, Ivan and Matthew had stopped walking and were looking directly at him, wondering what was going on with him.

 _'This wirr onry hurt for a bit. Soon, you wirr not feer a singre thing. I am not going to sugar-coat shit for you though. This is going to get a whore rot worse.'_

Instantly, pain shot through his entire body, sending him to his knees. Both of his hands shot up to his head, grabbing it in pain. One hand was forced to pull away and fall down to his chest as a burning sensation erupted in what felt like his heart. His body was in pain and felt like it could burst up in flames in seconds.

" _Iie! Yameru! Sore wa itai! Sore was itai!_ " He knew Ivan and Matthew were right next to him. He needed their help. He didn't want to die. No, not yet.

 _'Tch. You are such a pain. They cannot herp you. Just stay quiet and everything wirr go quicker.'_

Kiku's breathing began to pick up pace as his body tried to cool his body temperature back down. His vision wavered in and out before completely disappeared. His hearing began to go, but it stayed enough to just barely hear Ivan and Matthew. The Japanese teen tried reaching out to the two, hopping they would grab on, but his body wasn't listening to him. All he could do was kneel and hope one of the two could save him...

This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to be happening now. Not until he insinuated it. Why was he being released? How old was he? 13? He still has 2 years. Tops. So, why was he being released now? They weren't prepared!

"I-Ivan... W-What's happening?" Matthew spoke as he shook, having his eyes glued to Kiku's shaking body. Ivan slowly pushed himself up, using the wall as support. Moments ago, Ivan had placed his hand on Kiku's shoulder, asking if he was alright. In response, a force had shoved him back and away from Kiku, slamming him into the wall. Ivan's eyes narrowed as he held onto his shoulder in pain. It didn't feel broken, but it hurt like hell, landing on it the way he did.

"S-Something we were not prepared for..." Ivan growled. He began walked towards the kneeling Japanese teen once more only for the darkened aura around him to continue to grow, almost like it was protecting Kiku from whatever Ivan had in store for him. Ivan turned back to Matthew with determination in his eyes. "Mattie. Run down this hall and into room at end. Before anyone can ask any questions say the phrase '0211p is armed'. They will understand. Stay in that room until I say otherwise."

"B-But, w-what about you?"

"I said go _Matvej_! I will be fine!" The Russian yelled, narrowing his eyes even more. Matthew stumbled back from the shout the Russian had given him. Quickly, and shakily, he nodded before turning around and bolting down the hall, running as fast as he could. Ivan sighed, watching Matthew run down the hall. Hopefully help would come before things get out of hand. Slowly, Ivan turned back to Kiku relaxing his body and voice.

"Kiku, listen to me. Everything will be alright. Hold on to my voice and I can help you." Ivan carefully spoke, not wanting his to activate. He was going to hold back as much as he could, no matter how much he wanted to get out.

The dark aura around Kiku continued to grow, as if it wasn't taking his threats seriously. And, Ivan knew exactly why. It couldn't sense his other.

"We are not ready for you yet. Get back inside..." Ivan growled at Kiku, trying to hold back. But, it was getting too much. He wanted out. Ivan tried resisting the urge, trying to control him, but he was going to force his way out one way or another. His eyes held a dangerous red swirl that quickly overtook his pure purple eyes. "We need both of them alive. Do not test me with your actions." The dark aura around Kiku grew once more, almost like a threat back. A light smile grew on Ivan's face as he reached into the inside of his jacket. All the platinum blond hair on his head was instantly replaced with a light brown color as he whipped out a small cylinder device that quickly fanned out into a long shiny faucet pipe. He spun it around before pointing it down at the ground.

"I've always wanted to meet another one. I've grown bored of the ones around here. I hope you plan to entertain me." Ivan's face held a stoic expression as he looked at Kiku. His tone and mood towards the situation had taken a complete 180. As if he had taken a completely different persona.

Slowly, Kiku's hands fell from his hand and chest and onto the ground. His fingers fanned out, slowly pushing himself up to stand, using both the floor and the wall for support. Lightly pushing himself away from the wall, Kiku steadied his body, making sure he wasn't going to fall. Kiku's head slowly rose revealing blood red eyes with very little traces of his once deep brown eyes hiding underneath his slightly red tinted hair. Ignoring Ivan, he looked down at his hands as he opened and closed a fist, as if he was trying on a new outfit.

"Hm... I rittre different than I expected... But, that wirr not stop me." Kiku balled up his fists and finally looked up directly into Ivan's eyes. "Entertainment?" One of Kiku's feet slid back, placing himself into an attacking position. "Show me your worth."

"Gladly." Ivan gave a slight smirk before darting at Kiku, dragging his pipe across the ground. Once he got within 5 feet, Ivan swung his pipe up, aiming to hit Kiku's jaw. Quickly, Kiku stepped to the side while moving his upper body back to avoid being hit. Bringing his arm up, Kiku pushed the pipe, redirecting its motion to the right, allowing a clean shot to Ivan. Bringing his free hand around, Kiku shot his arm forward, smacking directly against Ivan's chest. The force caught Ivan by surprise as he was shot back and slammed against the wall. Ivan ended up losing grip on his pipe, having it slide down the hall, far away from his body as it laid on the ground.

"You wanted me to entertain you, yet you cannot hord your ground against someone who is new to this." Kiku's eyes narrowed with a slight growl. Ivan tried pushing himself up, but he was shoved back down as Kiku's foot slammed down on his back, keeping him down. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I-I am not done yet..." Ivan growled, putting his hands back on the ground and continued to try and push himself up. Kiku shook his head, pushing him back down.

"I know what you are trying to do. Do not think I wirr succumb as you have. I pran on doing things my way, not yours." Ivan glanced up at Kiku, seeing the shine and determination in his eyes. A slight smile grew on Ivan's face as he looked back at the ground. Kiku could feel Ivan's back rise sporadically. Almost as if he was... laughing...? "What is so funny?" Kiku growled.

"Is one of your downsides only being able to focus on one thing at time?" Kiku blinked only for something to slip around his neck and fall down to his chest. Whipping his head around, Kiku's eyes landed on 3 teens dressed in white lab coats. Instantly, Kiku's visions began to waver in and out, causing him to stumble back and off of Ivan. Ivan pushed himself up, brushing the dirt off his clothes, before looked down at Kiku as he was forced to sit on the ground.

" _N-Nani?_ _I-Iie_! _Y-Yameru_!" Reaching up, Kiku's fingers wrapped around the gem at the bottom of the necklace that laid on his neck. Quickly, he was forced to pull away from the burning sensation it gave off. The palm of his hand steamed as the gem heated his hand. Kiku hissed before his eyelids fell close. His body went limp as he fell back, blacking out.

* * *

 **~Russian~  
 _Shtraf-_ Fine  
 _Da_ -Yes  
 _Matvej-_ Russian way of saying Matthew  
**

 **~Japanese~**  
 ** _Iie-_ No _  
Yameru-_ Stop _  
Sore wa itai-_ It hurts  
 _Nani_ -What  
**

* * *

 **Next chapter! Done! ^-^ I'm glad you're all enjoying this story and I'm happy to continue writing it~  
Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing, it means a lot~  
Once again, if you speak any language used and I have used it incorrectly, please inform me and I will gladly fix it. As well as any sort of mistakes throughout the story.  
Thank you and happy reading~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, Wolf here. Sorry this chapter took a couple weeks to get out. I'm on a major writing block on multiple stories I writing, this one being one of them. No, I am not going to stop writing this story, it might just take longer to post a new chapter. There were a lot of things that were happening the past couple weeks, I'm sure most of you, if not all, know why. Next week, I am also taking a trip with my family so I will not be updating at all during that week. I will try to work on the next chapter though, so you won't have to wait too, too long.**

 _ **LunaTheBlackWolf-**_ **Yes, you are very close. It is very close to a 2p, just not...exactly... I will not be using any 2p names, as my people have their own ideas and I do not wish to upset anyone. So, I will just be sticking with their normal names. So, by that standard, they just take on _my_ adaptation of appearance and personality of the 2ps, but do not turn into a 2p. I little confusing, I know. Sorry :/  
** **You review made a good example on why I do not wish to put 2p names in. As you lean more towards Sergei, I lean more towards Viktor.**

 **Please no hate on my choice of names, from anyone. We are all untitled to our own opinions. I will not bash your names, so do not bash mine. If anyone wishes to know what name I have for everyone, you may ask me by PM and I will be glad to respond and discuses _only_ if you can have a _peaceful_ talk about it. **

**I'm rambling now. Let's get on with the story~**

* * *

It's only been a couple weeks since the 'inspection', as the children called it. Even so, no one has settled down. Many children were still frightened, fearing that the adults might come back for them. The rare friendships that were made were taken away, never to be seen again. Families were torn apart. Long heated rivalries ceased to exist. Everyone's reaction to the the inspection was different. The days ahead of them were changed from their normal routine. The only common thing everyone shared was that no one was happy. Especially the small group of make-shift, international friends.

Yao rarely left the sleeping room. He wasn't forced by the adults, as they viewed it as one less mouth to feed. As he rarely left, he barely ate, only eating when someone brought him the small amounts they could sneak. But, even so, those were rare. He stayed curled up on his bed, blaming himself for Kiku being taken away. A child he had known almost his whole life was taken away from him. And, he couldn't do anything about it...  
Alfred was forced out of the room by Arthur and Francis, no matter how much he wanted to stay. Francis was, too, heartbroken that the small Canadian that he grew close to was take. They all tried, tried saving the Canadian from being taken. Alfred even screamed, trying to get them away from his 'brother'. In the end, it didn't help his cause. It was inevitable. Matthew, a child seen as a family member of their small group, was taken from them.  
Feliciano was heartbroken as well upon hearing about Kiku. A friend he had only just recently made way already gone. Ludwig was saddened, at the most. He didn't try to make friends with Kiku, like Feliciano did, so he wasn't too affected. Though, to say he didn't care was far off from true. He just wasn't as... attached like the little Italian boy.

Days moved slow and time acted like it didn't exists. The more the days moved on, the more the children were being taken. Many children where done with this. Being separated from their family, leaving them at home. Having friends be taken from right underneath them. No clue why they were here. No clue what was going to happen. They couldn't deal with all this any longer. They fought against the adult, breaking their rules, but the result is always the same. Adults shot at the children and they were taken out of the rooms, never to be seen again.

Night rolled around once again for the group of children. They followed the adult's shouts and orders, but they were still shoved around. Upon arriving in the large dark sleeping room the children were shoved in. _Bam! Click! Bam! Click! Bam! Click!_ One right after the other, doors were slammed shut, as if they were dominoes. Falling upon one another, pushing the others down.

The children slowly crawled into their sleeping 'beds'. Some slipped under the 'covers' while some laid up on top. Curled up in balls, laying on their flat backs or stomachs. This was one of those nights that took a while for everyone to sleep. They were quiet, barely speaking a word, but even so, no one could sleep. One day, the adults were going to barge into their room and take every last one of them. They were going to be take and were going to never be seen again.

Hours past, and only a handful of the remaining kids could sleep. Everyone who was still awake had given up on a normal sleep pattern a while back. After the 'inspection', they had no intention of going on. They just wanted it all to end.

The sound of bangs and shouts rang throughout the halls, echoing what it can into the rooms. The children who were awake were up and looked over towards the door. Quickly, banging began on their own door. It grew in pace, force and numbers as it seemed like more and more of whatever was banging on it grew. Quickly and with one final bang, the large lock holding the door close busted apart and fell to the ground. The door swung open with a BANG against the wall, instantly waking the sleeping kids. What looked like a man and a woman stepped into the room. Their outfits were different from their own, but different from the adults, making them not from this place. Almost all of their face was covered, only allowing their eyes to be see. Even their hair. One of them had green eyes while the other had purple. They also each owned some sort of weapon; male had a pistol and the female had a shotgun. If they weren't from this place than... who are they...?

"Everyone out. Ve need to hurry." The male stated as he stood near the door.

"Quickly. Before the alarms go off." The girl spoke, quickly stepping into the room. The children in the room managed to glancing passed the two, glancing into the hall. Children were running down the hall with older people, like these two, at their sides. Upon seeing the children run, many of the children quickly slid out of their beds and ran out the door. The man pushing them along, wanting them to run faster.

"What's going on...?" Yao asked as he walked up to the women, letting all the other children run past him. The girl turned to him with what seem like a light smiled, as her face was hid behind a piece of cloth. Why was she wearing it exactly?

"We're breaking you all out of here."

"What...?" Yao blinked.

"Ve'll explain more on the vay. Get moving." The man rushed the remaining children out the door.

"Come on." The girl grabbed Yao's arm and pulled him out the door. Yao blinked, but pulled his arm away and ran with the remaining kids. The two looked at each other before nodding. The male ran after the group, ushering the children along with the others. The female ran in the opposite direction, going down a different hallway and disappearing around a corner. There were about 10 total members of this outside group, rushing them along, including the women disappeared. None of the children asked questions. They were just happy that they were, hopefully, getting out of this place.

As soon as they hit the minute mark for running, realization finally hit the little American.

"M-Matthew! We can't leave without Matthew!" Alfred managed to slip his arm from Arthur's grasp and run in the opposite direction, pushing past all the running children. "Matthew! Matthew!" Alfred glanced around from face to face, hoping the older ones managed to find him and usher him along. But, there was no luck in sight. Alfred continued to run in the opposite direction of the children. He was going to find Matthew and bring him home. He promised he would never leave him behind.

As soon as Yao heard the name being called out by the small child his eyes widened. What about Kiku? Just like Alfred, he wasn't going to leave behind his 'brother' in a place like this. Yao's body turned with the pivot of his foot before running in the same directing Alfred was, away from the crowd of people. _I'm not going to leave you Kiku..._

Arthur glanced around, running with all the children. Where were they going...? Arthur tightened his grip around Alfred's arm only to freeze. There was nothing in his hand. Glancing down, Arthur's eyes widened in fear. There was no child by his side... Alfred had disappeared.

"Arzer...?" The accented voice rang through the Brit's ears, causing Arthur to slowly look over as Francis walked over to his side

"He's gone..."

"Who's gone...?"

"Alfred! Alfred disappeared!" Arthur frantically began looking around. Francis's eyes widen.

" _Quelle_?!" Francis ran after Arthur, glancing around as well.

"He couldn't have gotten far. No. He has to be nearby! Alfred! Alfred, where are you?!" Arthur's head shot left and right. He had to find him. What if he was going to be left behind? No. Matthew was already gone, the two weren't going to lose Alfred too.

Both Yao and Alfred managed to push past the group of children and run down the empty hall, both working together. Neither of them were going to leave until the one they were looking for was found. Upon turning the corner, the two came into a crashing halt with another person. All 3 of them fell back to the ground with a thud. A silver box that the third was carrying flew high up into the air. The woman's eyes widened. She quickly pushed herself up, scrambling around. She reached over for it, grabbing it right before it hit the ground. She sighed before quickly looking back at the two she bumped into only for her eyes to widen.

"What are you two doing here?! Get back with the group!" It was the same girl that veered from the group earlier. The silver briefcase in her hands was pulled close to her like it would end her life if she didn't.

"No!" Alfred screamed. The girl quickly covered his mouth, as his screams echoed throughout the hall.

"Shh!" She hushed him with narrowed eyes. "Why not?!"

"I spent 10 years in this place and I do not plan on leaving with without Kiku, _aru_!" Yao's voice rose to the level the girl spoke. He was determined. Nothing was going to stop him. The girl looked over at the teen. _Kiku? Who's Kiku?_

"Or Matthew!" Alfred spoke through her hand, pulling away from her. The woman glanced back at the small boy, blinking in confusion. _Matthew_...?

"Who?" The girl asked. "If they're children then they're with the group up ahead. We made sure to collect all of you guys. We didn't leave anyone behind." The female tried to calmly explain, hoping the two would quickly get back to the group. Of course, that response didn't sit well with the two.

"No you didn't! Matthew isn't with us!" Alfred's eyes narrowed as he stomped his feet.

"They were taken! The adults took them! We have to go get them back, _aru_!" Yao yelled wanting to run past the girl and keep looking for Kiku. He was NOT going to leave without him. The girl blinked only for her eyes to widen. _These children were taken...? Already? I thought we were ahead of schedule. Are they pushing their plans ahead...? No... If they are..._

"Well..." The girl quietly spoke. Quickly, her hands were on their backs, pushing them back down the hall. "Listen to me. Forget about them. If they were taken, they're not coming back."

"What?!" The two yelled, instantly whipping their heads around to look at her.

"No! You're lying! Matthew is still in here! He's not gone! I have to go get him!" Alfred turned his body around and away from the girl, trying to run passed her and run off to find Matthew. Quickly, the girl grabbed the back of his shirt stopping him from moving.

"Listen kid! I don't want to have to hurt you! This 'Matthew' kid you keep yelling about is gone! If the people here take a child then you are never going to see them again! I'm sorry, but we have to keep moving. You can't save someone who's already gone!" The girl yelled. She tried to keep her voice down, but there two were getting on her nerves. Why couldn't they just listen. Well... apparently telling them the truth got them to listen.

Both Alfred and Yao froze. No. It wasn't true. Matthew and Kiku where in here still. They were waiting to be saved. They can't just leave them here... No...

"Alfred!" Another voice rang through the hall. Tuning around the corner both the French and the English teen came into view; both out of breath and concern written all over their faces. Quickly, without warning, Alfred turned his back to the girl and darted over to the teens, throwing himself onto Arthur, knocking him back. Francis quickly grabbed Arthur, keeping him on his feet. Alfred's arms wrapped around Arthur's waist as he buried his head in his chest and tried his best not to cry. Though small tears began wetting Arthur's top. He couldn't help but cry. How could he not? From what this women was telling him, Matthew was probably...

"Alfred! W'at 'appened?! Are you alright?!" Francis tried asking, hoping the boy would answer. Alfred just shook his head, not wanting to speak.

"Listen I don't mean to be rude, but stop worrying about that now!" The girl spoke, getting the attention of the group. "Everything will be explained, but we need to get out of here before-" Almost on cue a large alarm rang through the air as all the lights around them turned from their golden yellow color to a red hue and started flashing. "The alarms go off..." The girl placed her hand on her face and groaned. "Too late now..." She rolled her eye before looking back at the group. Quickly, the girl's hand wrapped around Yao's arm and pulled him back down the hall while ushering the other 3 along. "Quickly now! We need to get out before we get caught!" The group ran down the hall, turning left and right at different crosswords. No one spoke and no one asked questions. That made it easier for the women to lead them through the hall. If she could just get these remaining children out of the building without a problem. And thankfully, that was the case.

After a couple minutes of running the group was able to make out a figure standing by what looks like an exit. The group increased their pace, trying to get out.

"Hurry! Ve don't have much time anymore!" The male yelled, glancing in and out of the building, as if he was watching for something.

"I know!" The group got to the door, only to have the two shove them out. The male yanked a small handgun from his belt and whipped it around to point down the hall. Multiple adults began appearing from side hallways, running after the group. The male, with narrowed eyes, shot at the large group of running adults, managing to wound and even kill multiple men, hopefully giving the group enough time to get far away from here. The male and female got behind the door and began to shut the large metal door, slamming it shut with a loud _Bang!_ The two turned back to the group of children and instantly began running once more, ushering the kids along with them.

"W-Where are we going…?" Arthur looked at the two older people. It was a question he should have asked in the beginning instead of just blindly following along. But, he was just as excited as everyone else. Now is a better time than ever to ask. The girl looked down with a light smile on her face. She had removed the cloth from her face, showing off her long, wavy brown hair as it flew behind her as the group ran

"We're taking you all to a better place. A place where people like us are everywhere."

* * *

 **~French~**

 ** _Quelle_ -What**

* * *

 **Done! Yes! Reading this one through, I feel like I could do better but nothing is coming to mind on how... I'm sorry if this one is a off and not up to par with the others,but I'm just happy I got this one out~  
This one ended up being a really long one, but I guess it should be for making you guys wait so long on it :D  
It shouldn't be too hard to guess, but whoever can guess who the main male and female are you get a cookie and a hug! (\^-^/)  
** **Thank you all for reading and sticking through my slump of writer's block! Thanks for the reviews and favorites and I'm glad ya'll are still enjoy this story~** **  
**


	11. Chapter 11

Walking through the dark was their own option. In the dark and in small groups. The large mass of children were reduced down to small groups with an average of 10 in each. Compared to the few that were in the buildings, trying to get the children out with no harm, many, many more were waiting outside to help safely escort the children away. None of the children were harmed, and that's what the 'savors' were aiming for. No one knew what exactly was happening, nor did they have a clue on what the building they were being held in was. All were just happy that they were finally free from the rough adults. There were so many colors, so many scents, so many new things no one had seen in a long, long time.

The groups had to split apart, trying not to bring too much attention to large groups of children running through and near towns. Even though towns were rare along their trip it was better safe than sorry. Long walks in endless plains and rocky terrain took up most of their trip. Yet, after what seemed like days, the group had yet to reach their unknown destination. Even thought the 'savors' were helping them, they refused to stay where they were being taken. All they knew, was that it was someplace safe.

Current time laid the sky in darkness with little white spots dotting the blackness. Only some could recognize what these dots were. Even so, everyone was amazed. Everything was so beautiful. The green grass, the dull rocks, the bright blue sky during the day and the pitch black sky during the night. This was something either they missed or they had never seen before.

"How much longer? We've been walking for hours..." The young American complained as he dragged his feet across the ground. The British boy steered over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to try to relax him.

"I'm sure it's not too much longer, hm?" He spoke lightly. The leader of the group turned her head back to the tired group with soft eyes.

"This is how we must travel. Even if you are tired, we must push forwards. If we travel by day, we could be spotted. We travel all night only to hide and rest during the day."

"A night time shift is just 'ard for us to adjust too. We mean you know 'arm, Elizabeta." Francis spoke as he looked up at the girl. Elizabeta was the name of the girl that had helped them all the way back in the building. After they got out she told them who she was so they wouldn't have to call her 'woman' or 'lady'. Francis's mood had improved, but not by too much. He was still just as upset as Alfred was about Matthew. Antonio was always by his side, trying his best to cheer him up as much as he could. But, no one could top Yao's. He didn't speak. He didn't react. He didn't think. The only thing that was on his mind was the boy he protected for his whole life. Yet, he was just ripped away from him, never to be seen again, as told by the female. He didn't argue, which was a plus compared to the other children, yet him not speaking made Elizabeta worry more.

"What are those?" The younger Italian questioned. One hand pointed up to the sky while the other was wrapped around his brother's arm. He wanted to walk side by side with the German, but his brother was against it. Lovino wanted his brother by his side at all times, not knowing what could be over the next hill.

" _Stelle_." Lovino spoke softly, as he was just as tired as the rest of the group.

" _Così carino..._ " Feliciano gave a light smile as he tread along. On the other side of the brother coin, Ludwig stayed close to the older German, Gilbert. Just like Lovino, Gilbert didn't want his younger brother far from him just in case something happened. He was going to protect him with his whole life. Not being able to see Ludwig in years basically grew this... mind set in Gilbert. He had this... need to watch over him and protect him like an older brother should, even though he was already pushing double digits. Ludwig did find this being over protective, but it was nice to have an older brother around.

Hours and hours went by, having the children walk miles upon miles. It was only when it seemed like half the night had gone by did the group slow down to look for a place to hide. Being in such a terrain as they were, it was difficult to find a spot. It was either too out in the open or their wasn't enough room. But, after minutes of searching, the group managed to find just the right spot. Elizabeta ushered the children over, which they quickly followed. They group huddled around one another for warmth and waited until their bodies grew tired enough to sleep. But, having the shift in sleeping patterns took a toll on the group. It was difficult to sleep and it was difficult to wake. But, they were able to do it with some work.

Slowly, everyone settled down and began to doze off. Drifting off with each other, it being easier to sleep with some warmth rather than none. Lovino and Feliciano, Gilbert and Ludwig, Arthur and Alfred, and Francis and Antonio. The only one who wasn't asleep was Yao. There he sat, not too far off, on a little rock covered by small patches of grass. Taking note of this, Elizabeta slowly helped herself up and walked over, taking a seat next to him. He didn't look over at her, but knew she was there.

"Yao... It will be okay." She tried, hoping to get him in a better mood. Yao just pulled his knees up to his chest and looked at the ground.

"How can you say that, _aru_? You do not know the pain I am going through. Yet, you come up to me saying it will be okay? Who are you to say what is and is not okay?" Yao glared at her, barely making any eye contact. Elizabeta blinked in surprise. The first emotion she seen on him was sadness, but now it was hate. Hate and anger. It seemed like he had no love left in him. No happiness. The female sighed and glanced up at the sky, looking at the stars that littered the black blanket of night.

"You know...? You're right." Yao blinked, taking a short glanced over at the girl. But, she kept her eyes towards the sky. "I don't know the pain you are going through. I did not have to lose someone close to me like you have. I have no way of trying to bond, trying to make you feel better, because I do not feel the same lose you do." There was a moment of silence between the two. Yao's head slowly rose up to look at Elizabeta. She finally turned to look at him, letting him look into her green eyes.

"Then... If you know we cannot relate, why do you try?"

"Because you are all so young." Elizabeta turned her head to glance back at the sleeping children behind her. "Even if you are the oldest, everyone else is young. They have been through a lot, just like you. It is important to try and get hopes up. Hopes up for something great. I do not know how long you all have been in that place, but I know hope is not lost. One of the best parts about saving children like you is the see the sparkle and glimmer in everyone's eyes as they were finally allowed outside. And everyone here, even you, were amazed by the outside world." The female turned back to look up at sky, not speaking another word. Slowly, placing a hand on the Chinese's teen shoulder, Elizabeta helped herself up. A quick pat on the back and the female made her way back over to the children to watch over them before drifting off herself.

But, Yao sat there for a little bit longer. His head drifted back over and up to the stars. What the woman said was right. Even if he was the oldest out of the rag tag bunch of kids, he was just as amazed as the rest of them upon seeing the sky. He had seen it before, granted that was years ago. But, instead of wallowing in the stars, memories flooded his mind. Time with his family. Time with Kiku. The Chinese's teen reached up, wiping away a single tear away from his cheek.

Kiku... Why has he been acting like this? Acting like... he's just full of sadness a-and regret... W-What would he say if he say him like this? Th-That he was disappointed? That he was upset at what he had become? An empty shell of nothing but negativity? That's exactly what he was... He had nothing to hide... So... Why continue to act like this?

Tears rolled down Yao's face as he hid in his arms. Wiping away the single tear helped nothing. He couldn't stop the tears. He couldn't stop the feeling of pain and agony. He tried his best to keep silent, not wanting to awaken the young children. Arms went up and wiped away tear after tear that fell down his face. Ones that he missed just dripped down to the ground, melting down the rock.

"Kiku… _Bào qiàn_ … _Bào qiàn_ , Kiku…"

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 **~Italian~**  
 ** _Stelle_ -Stars**  
 ** _Così carino_ -So pretty**

 **~Chinese~  
** ** _Bào qiàn-_ I'm sorry**

* * *

 **HIIIIIII! Been a while, hm? Too long and I'm sorry about that... I _AM_ working on it and I will _still_ continue to work on in it. This is one of my favorite stories I have ever written. So I am _so sorry_ for not getting this done sooner. I have no excuse for why I haven't been working on this, but I'm _going_ to get back into it. I promise. **

_**LunaTheBlackWolf**_ **-Thank you for offering the help. I love anyone that is able to help improve this story. I do not speak French (which is what I'm guessing you were saying) I know English (duh) and I am currently studying Spanish and Italian. Most of what I get for the languages are from Google Translate, which is bad, I know. That's why I'm asking for anyone that can help, please do.**

 **Thank you all for staying with me. Reviewing, favorite, following. Everything. It means so much that you all are staying with me. Even the small reviews I get excited about seeing . It shows that you all like it and that's all that I want.  
Happy reading~ :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**~Translation Help~**

 **German-Kathy2378**

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Hours turned into days and days turned into weeks. It seemed as if they were only making a small dent in what seemed like a year long journey. Every day Elizabeta encouraged them to keep moving, to keep their hopes up. That they were almost there. What surprised her, was the fact that Yao was trying to get the children to push themselves along as well. If one began to fall behind, Yao would help them along. If one seemed to be on their last string, he would motivate them. Whatever happened that night after she went to bed, Elizabeta was glad it happened. They all need someone like Yao, including herself, for the rest of this journey. And hopefully for the rest of their time together. Thanks to Yao's mood change, it seemed like everyone began to lift their heads up and try to work together. They were acting almost like a family. From helping one another with their struggles to just simple conversations. Back in the building, they rarely spoke with one another. There was no point of making friends there. They were just going to be taken away anyway. But, hearing and seeing all of this happening before her, Elizabeta was happy. That is exactly what she was hoping for. A family tight bond with one another. That's how people like them survive.

After about a week had gone by did the hills around them begin to steepen. Walking over the rolling hills of rocks and grass the children began to take notice in the changes of the terrain. Rocks began to almost completely cover over top of the grass while the hills slowly started to become mountains. Walking grew more and more difficult as the up hill battle increased. Currently, the group was trudging up one of the bigger mountains in the area. Most wanted to walk around it, but Elizabeta insisted they climbed over it. Trying to climb over the steep rocks was difficult, no doubt. But, the group helped each other, pulling and lifting each other up. As everyone began helping each other up to the flat spot they had located, Elizabeta looked out with a smile held on her face. Turning back to the children, she saw all eyes on her, wanting to know what to do next. All she had to do was turn back out with her arm extended out. All eyes moved over the small mountain's top only to stand in awe.

"Welcome home, fellow Darken Aura Children." Down below them, in the middle of a group of high peaked mountains, sat the refuge they had been searching for. Finally, they had made it.

 _~~~Slight Jump~~~_

Walking in was nerve racking, even for the older children. They were afraid of what might happen to them... Where they going to be hated? Where they going to be frown upon? Where all these people going to be like every adult they had encountered before? All of those questions were answered within the first couple minutes and with an answer they weren't expecting. People stared at them, but never in a hateful glare. No. They all held this glimmer in their eyes. Like, they were happy to see them. Happy to see them alive. There were people of all ages; adults, teens, children. You name an age and they were here. There had to be about 100, if not more, hiding out in this rundown camp. It even looked like whole families were here. People were walking in and out of tents and makeshift houses; some were helping others get around, some were transporting boxes of what looked like supplies, and some were just making their way from one side to the other. The small group stayed close by each other, following Elizabeta's instructions to not to run off.

Walking to what seemed like the opposite side of this small area, the female led the group into a very large tent. Inside there were many older teens and adults that laid in the makeshift beds as both men and women worked on healing them. Wrapping up cuts and bruises, giving them decent food. There were a couple smaller children that ran around as well, most-likely to try and bring the fallen attitudes back up.

"Elizabeta! Girl! I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece!" Turning their attention to the new voice, the children laid their eyes upon a man hugging their female leader. His hair was down to his shoulders and was a bright blond. His voice held a unique accent to it that none of them have heard before. Now that some of them thought about it, almost everyone here held different voices. They all spoke the common language, but the way they pronounced certain words were always different.

"Feliks!" Elizabeta hugged back as a smile grew on her face. "I'm glad to see you still helping out in the medical wing. Where's Toris?"

"Right here." The two broke a part and turn to another male. His hair was a bit longer than the first, being pulled back into a loose, short, low pony-tail. It was also a dirty brown, instead of a bright blond. "You're not dead yet. That's always good news." He smiled. Elizabeta returned the favor.

"Yup! Still out fighting. I'm not going to stop until every single kid is saved."

"That's just like you, Liz! You're going to get yourself killed one day." The blond smiled.

"Yet that day isn't today." The two males nodded and turned their attention to the small children behind her. Some of the younger children hid behind the older ones, slightly frightened by the new people. Unknown if they were friend or foe. The brown haired boy kneeled down, coming eye level with the group.

" _Sveiki_ little ones. My name is _Toris_ , as you probably heard. We are your friends. All of us are here to help you, we promise." The children looked at each other in worry, wondering who was going to make the first move. No one wanted to speak to the man, even if he _did_ seem friendly. Slowly, one child stepped forwards. All the children watched the teen walk forward to the brown haired man as he slowly stood up.

" _Nǐ hǎo_ , Toris. I am called Yao." The Chinese teen bowed his head lightly. Toris blinked at the new accented voice, but lightly smiled as he seemed like the leader of this small group. If Yao could show that he wasn't going to harm them, the rest of them might learn to trust him. "Is it true what you say? Do you mean us no harm?" Before Toris could answer the teen's question, the blond butted the male aside and answered the question.

"Where do you think you are? This is, like, your new home! Why would we harm the only people that don't hate us?" Feliks placed his hands on his hips as he spoke. The way he spoke was very new to the group of young children, but they were grateful it wasn't forceful like the adults. But, what the blond haired teen said got one of the children thinking...

"The only people that don't hate you? What are you saying...?" Arthur took a step forward, wanting the question to be answered. The group turned towards the Englishman, all taking in what he said. In turn, that got the other children thinking as well. What did he mean? Feliks and Toris turned their attention to the group's female leader in confusion.

"You did tell them...didn't you...?" Toris spoke up. Elizabeta's eyes instantly widened as she refused to meet eye contact with the two males.

"It um... You see... The topic never came up... so..." The two looked at each other, blinking a bit before sighing.

"Well... I guess it's okay. Everything will be explained after everyone gets a quick checkup." Toris spoke. Turning around, he walked over to one the makeshift tables to begin preparing.

"Besides, I bet our leaders could totally explain it better than you could~" Feliks teased, turning around and flicking his hair only to make his way over to Toris to help out. Elizabeta crossed her arms with a huff, blowing a piece of hair away from her face. Slowly, she turned back to the children, seeing them all look up at her in confusion. Her face softened before speaking.

"Toris and Feliks are just two members of our medic team. But, that's something that will be explained later. For now, our other doctors will make sure you are all healthy. Thankfully no one has been harmed recently, so we have just enough room to fit all of you in at once." Elizabeta gave a light smile. Looking past the female's body, the group laid their eyes on the many empty, makeshift beds. There were many older teens that looked to be waiting for someone that needed help. To Elizabeta's dismay, no one moved. Rolling her eyes, Elizabeta stepped backwards only to begin giving them small pushes forwards. "Go on. We're not going to hurt you." Slowly, the children began to make their way over to the beds, climbing up and laying down. Some were reluctant, of course, but the medics were patient. Elizabeta left for a bit, leaving the group in silence. No one wanted to make conversation. What were they supposed to talk about? How horrible their life was before they were saved? They already knew so there was no point...

The group sat and waited as the medics did their job. The group was forcefully ripped away from the only place they had and shoved into a place with new people left and right. Don't get me wrong, that place was awful. No one liked it. But, it was the fact that they were forced to communicate that they hated. They barely knew how to start, let alone continue a conversation. When the medics tried to conjure up any sort of discussion, the group responded with short sentences. It was starting to get somewhat comfortable as time went on, but it was still awkward. Many questioned were left unanswered, causing frustration in most. They wanted answers now. Where were they? Where were they before? Why were they there? Why are they here? And what the hell is going on? But, like everyone responded, it was going to be answered soon.

Quickly, everyone was given the best exam the group's medics could do. No one had any physical problems, thankfully. Of course, there were some mental problems from being cooped up in that place for so long. Ranging from speech impediments to high mental walls to just simple uncomfortableness. Thankfully, all could be fixed with the right training and time. Well, what they could tell. It was hard to tell for certain if these were the problems, as they were limited to the equipment, but problems like these were common with new groups.

After everyone was checked up on Elizabeta walked back into the tent with a light smile on her face. Saying something about 'being ready to be seen' the female lead the group out of the tent and into the middle of the camp. The middle of the camp was active, to say the least. People walked on by either to get from one side to the other or to run errands. Some traveled in small groups, but most walked alone. Avoiding confrontation with anyone the female led the group into the large, makeshift building in the very middle. There was no door, just a wide opening with loud conversations coming from within.

Upon walking in the saying 'it's bigger on the inside' was an understatement. This place looked huge, even bigger to the smaller children like Alfred. There were a couple small tables around the outskirts of the building with a few chairs, probably used for a large announcement or even just a conversation between any member of this society. In the center, standing around a large round table, were a group of 6 males and a single female. All were chatting and taking about something that seemed important. Elizabeta quietly ushered the group over to one of the small tables, telling them to stay quietly until the group had finished their conversation. So, not being able to speak, the group listen.

"How are we holding up in the West?" One of the 2 older males questioned, looking up towards a rugged, brown haired man.

"I'd say we're holdin' up great. We're makin' great progress on pushin' our circle out farther." He smiled. The man nodded and turned to another brown haired man, but he dressed in the complete opposite manner.

"And out East?"

"Our recent rescue mission vas a success. Little casualties vere recorded. Zough, from vhat some of our members have reported, zis facility vas quick to destroy ze children zey had. Ve could have save more, if not double vhat ve did save." The 2nd older male sighed, but the first continued his questions. He turned to the female in the room, having a smile grow on her face.

"How are we doing, food wise?"

"Well, we have a steady income, but with the recent retrieval of the children we're going to need more soon. The main ingredient we're lacking is meats and bread. We have plenty of fruit and greens to go around for the next couple months." The male nodded and turned to the last man in the room. He looked to be the scariest out of the group, seeing as he had a wooden rifle rest on his back, staying in place as a sling was thrown over his shoulder. His arms were crossed as his eyes gave off a hateful glare. Before the male could ask a question, this one spoke.

"Elaborating on what Mei said. We have supplies, but are quickly running low. We did not anticipate the amount of children we would gain from this mission would be so grand. We need more bedding material and until then, beds will have to be shared. Food is a given. We need more of that. We are also running low on our weapon supplies. Ammo rounds are short as well as the amount of arms that were destroyed on our last major bailout mission were high in numbers." The older male nodded. Ignoring the hateful glares he was being given, his eyes landed upon a small boy's. He looked small, but seemed to be in his late teenage years, just like the rest of the group.

"And in the medic wing?"

"A-Ah, yes…" The boy spoke quietly. "S-Slowly the ones that can be healed are making their way back o-onto the field. Th-Though, supplies are also r-running low. The new children a-are rare with physical damage, so not much s-supplies were used on them."

"Good. Dismissed." The 2nd, quiet, older male spoke in a stern tone without turning around. The reporters nodded and walked out; all but one. The one with the rifle on his back stayed in the room. Taking note of the boy, the main man in the room sighed.

"Vash, how many times have I told you? She'll be alright." The man walked around the table, coming face to face with the blond haired male.

"That's what you said last time! You placed my sister in one of the most dangerous missions you ever thought of! She's hasn't been home in months! I want you to call her in now!" He slammed his hand down on the table.

"We can't do that, and you know so. Lilli and Leon are hard at work. They knew how dangerous this mission and they chose to continue with it. They are holding up strong and are getting the information we need."

"My sister is going to _die_ because of you! When that news comes to my ears you better find a spot that makes you invisible, because I am going to hunt you down and _kill you_ for it!" The one name Vash stormed out of the tent as the older man sighed.

"Still can't calm him down, Julius?" The 2nd older male spoke as he turned towards the 1st. The brown haired man sighed as he rested against the table.

"He's just so worried about her. She'll be okay. She has her aura to lean upon. She is a strong one." Glancing down at the ground, the man named Julius sighed before bring his head back up to see the small group of children waiting for his conversation to finish. A light smile grew on his face as he pushed away from his table and walked a bit out. "Come on over! I want to see all the little ones that made it out~" The 2nd male turned towards the group, wanting to see who the 1st male was talking to. Elizabeta stood up and turned back to the children as a light smile appeared on her face.

"Come on. This is who you have to meet before you can fully join our group." The group of children looked at each other before slowly standing up and following their female leader over to the males. "Children, these are our two leaders. Mr. Julius and Mr. Helmut." Elizabeta spoke as she pointed to each of the men.

The first one was Julius. His hair was a brown, short and messy looking, with a slight hint of a curl at the tips. There were also two longer curls that stuck out from his hair compared to the other curls. His eyes were also an amber brown that glittered in the sunlight that hit his eyes. The second one was Helmut. His hair was a sandy blond color, but his hair reached down to just a bit past his shoulders. A special part of his hair, on contrast to Julius's curls, he had a single braid that ran down his full length. His eyes were a bright green-blue compared to the common brown color.

"Look at all of you! Brave little soldiers who pushed through life!" Julius smiled. His smile was very warming to the group. Upon coming into the camp, everyone was always smiling. It was something they weren't used to. The adults at their old home were rough and brutal, yet here... it was like everyone had a reason to be happy... The tall man bent down to come eye to eye with the small group. "Now! What are your names little ones? Do we know where we come from?" No one wanted to speak. They wanted someone else to go first, feeling more comfortable if they didn't speak first. So, Yao took a step forward.

" _Nǐ hǎo_. I am _Wang, Yao_. When I lived with my family they called my home _Zhōngguó_. I do not know the common language name." Julius blinked at the similar accent Yao had that a couple other children had.

"If I gave you a map, could you recognize your country?" He asked, hoping he could get a country from the teen. Yao nodded. Julius stood up and walked over to the table where Helmut was already rolling out a large world map. Yao slowly trailed around the table, having the other children gather around to look as well. After a couple a seconds, Yao came to a stop and placed his finger on a large piece of land in the middle of the map, a bit on the right.

"Ah! You come from what the common language calls China." Julius spoke, making Yao look up at him.

"China..." Yao spoke softly, wanting to memories the name of his home. Before Julius could ask another to speak up, one was literally jumping around, acting like he would die if he couldn't speak. So, Julius allowed him to speak.

"Oo! Oo! I'm _Alfred Jones_ and I come from _America_!" Alfred placed his finger down on another large piece of land, but on the opposite side of the world. Julius gave a light smile on the bright enthusiasm that basically glowed from his voice.

"I'll go next." Arthur spoke up, already placing his finger down on his home country. "I lived in the _United Kingdom_ under the name _Arthur Kirkland_." Butting the Englishman aside, the long haired blond spoke up next.

"My name is _Francis Bonnefoy_. My home country is the beautiful country of _France_ ~"

" _Hola_! My full name is _Antonio Fernández Carriedo_. I lived in _Espania_." Antonio placed his finger on a country not too far south from where Francis had placed his. Reading the common name of Spain on the map, he too mimicked Yao in repeating the name.

"Us next!" Gilbert spoke up. Though, no one took note of Helmut, who stood back a bit. Upon hearing Gilbert's accented voice, his eyes widened slightly. He stayed quiet, not speaking up of course. He wanted to make sure. There was no way... Gilbert placed his finger on a country to the right of both Francis and Antonio's countries, but was roughly the same size. "My name is _Gilbert Beilschmidt und_ zis is my little _Bruder Ludwig_." A hand was placed on Ludwig's shoulder so everyone knew who he was talking about. " _Deutschland_ is our proud home!" And last, but not least, were the two almost identical brothers. Of course, the older spoke up, knowing more of the common language than the younger.

"My name is _Lovino Vargas_ and I am joined by _mio fratello, Feliciano Vargas_. _Padre_ called our homeland, _Italia_." Feliciano reached up, having Lovino help him of course, only to place his hand amongst the large mass of European countries. Once everyone was finished speaking they glanced back up at Julius, waiting from him to say something. But, all he did was stare at the two Italian boys. Lovino gave him a harsh look, pushing Feliciano behind him. "What do you want, you bastard?" He growled, swearing at the adult.

"You say you're from _Italia_?" He asked, taking the group off guard at his now present accent. Feliciano's eyes widened while Lovino's narrowed.

" _Sì..._ "

"And your last name is _Vargas_?" He began to walk around the table, having everyone slowly back away. Lovino backed up as well, but not as much as the rest of the group. Feliciano stayed by his brother's side, wanting to be closer to him. As Julius got closer, Lovino raised his arms up to shield himself from what he believed to be an incoming attack. But, all that happened was what felt like arms wrap around his waist. Opening his eyes, Julius had fallen to his knees and pulled the two Italian boys into a hug.

"W-What are you doing, y-you bastard!" Lovino began to try and pull away.

 _"_ _Lovino, calmati. So chi sei._ _So chi entrambi te e Feliciano sono_ _._ " Julius began to speak in the same language as Lovino and Feliciano do to communicate.

" _T-Tu fare..._?" Feliciano spoke up, having the brown haired man nod. He pulled away lightly, looking both boys in the eyes.

" _Il mio nome è Julius Vargas._ _Vengo da Italia, proprio come te. Io sono tuo nonno_ _._ " He smiled. Both of the sibling's eyes widened.

" _Cosa_?!" Lovino yelled slightly. Julius held tears in his eyes as he nodded.

" _S-Sì..._ _Ero lì quando sei nati_ _._ _Ero lì quando Feliciano è nato_ _._ _Ricordo il tua primo giorno casa. Io sono tuo nonno_ _._ "

" _N-Nonno_ …?" Feliciano asked, slightly shaking. Julius nodded with a smile only for arms to instantly wrap around his neck. Lovino was a bit more hesitant, but... He has there last name... He speaks there language... He knows them... Slowly, and reluctantly, Lovino mimicked his younger brother's actions and hugged Julius. Both crying from joy. They had someone. Someone out in a world where there was a one in a million chance of ever seeing a piece of home. They had found someone. And that someone... Was their grandfather...

No one knew what the 3 were saying, but most of the older teens could guess. They gave a warm smile towards the 3, giving them space. It was rare, like a miracle. But, at least they were happy. But, for most, this only brought sadden memories back. Some from long ago, and some more recent. They had all lost their family, thinking they would never see them again. Some found themselves growing jealous of the Italian brothers. Having someone like them... Why did it have to happen to them...? Why not any of the other children...?

Slowly, the 3 pulled apart only for Julius to reach up and wipe their tears away, not wanting anymore to fall. He gave them light whispers before standing back up to address the group. He still had a job to do. Feliciano's hand quickly went to his grandfather's while Lovino held on lightly. Clearing his throat, Julius began to speak once more.

"Right, back where we were." His eyes scanned the group of children as a smile stayed on his face. "I'm glad we have such a diverse bunch. Most of you have already learned the common language, which is one less thing you have to learn here. But, the rest of the explanation will have to wait until tomorrow. You have traveled far and long to get here. You children need your rest. All your questions will get answered tomorrow, but for now your rest is the most important thing we need for you to do. Elizabeta will lead you over to the sleeping quarters. Everyone here lends a helping hand, so you should all find what you need." Julius turned to Elizabeta having her nod. She walked back over to the group, having them all look over.

"If you would just follow me." She smiled. One by one, the group of 7 children followed her out, some more reluctant than others. The other 2 children, the two Italian brothe's, stayed back with Julius. He glanced down at the two, having them look at him in his bright amber eyes.

"Come on. We have some catching up to do, hm?" Both of the brothers looked down at each other one last time before nodding.

" _Sì_."

* * *

 **~Lithuanian~  
** _ **Sveiki-**_ **Hello**

 **~Chinese~  
** _ **Nǐ hǎo-**_ **Hello  
** _ **Zhōngguó-**_ **China**

 **~Spanish~  
** _ **Hola**_ **-Hello  
** _ **Espania-**_ **Spain**

 **~German~  
** _ **Und**_ **-And  
** _ **Bruder**_ **-Brother  
** _ **Deutschland-**_ **Germany**

 **~Italian~  
** _ **Mio fratello-**_ **My brother  
** _ **Padre**_ **-Father  
** _ **Italia-**_ **Italy  
** _ **Sì-**_ **Yes  
** _ **Lovino, calmati. So chi sei-**_ **Lovino, calm down. I know who you are.** _ **  
So chi entrambi te e Feliciano sono-**_ **I know who both you and Feliciano are.  
** _ **Tu fare-You do  
Il mio nome è Julius Vargas-**_ **My name is Julius Vargas.** _ **  
Vengo da Italia, proprio come te. Io sono tuo nonno-**_ **I come from Italy, just like you. I am your grandfather  
** _ **Cosa**_ **-What  
** _ **Ero lì quando sei nati-**_ **I was there when you were born  
** _ **Ero lì quando Feliciano è nato**_ **-I was there when Feliciano was born** _ **  
Ricordo il tua primo giorno casa. Io sono tuo nonno-**_ **I remember your very first days home. I am your grandfather  
** _ **Nonno**_ **-Grandfather**

* * *

 **Finally complete! This one is really long, as you can tell. Tell me, do you like longer chapters or would you guys prefer shorter ones?  
Slowly, but surely, more and more characters will be added, hopefully you all have been able to guess who is who. Names are another touchy subject I found out about as I was trying to figure out some names. There are only a few characters that actually have full names while others only have suggestion and some have none at all! Though, you all probably knew that... Anyway, so for the characters that don't have an official name I had to go with what I thought sounded best, so I'm sorry if my names aren't the same as yours.  
If anyone here knows/speaks any of the languages that I used and I made a translation mistake, please inform me and I will fix it right away. Thank you all for being patience with this story, knowing it takes just a bit longer than I would hope for. Thank you all for following, reviewing, and adding this story into your favorites. It means so much when you guys do. Until next time, happy reading~**


	13. Chapter 13

"I'm sure you all have many questions, _sì_?" Many heads nodded at the question. Julius smiled at the light sparkle of interest that some of children held. It was only the beginning of the small group's first day at their new home and the children were already enjoying the place. The way the other people worked and acted were completely different than what they were used to. It was a completely different experience from what they had before. Waking up this morning, the people around them were very nice in helping them getting them up and helping them around. They were, surprisingly, allowed to wake up at their own pace, and not pushed at an early time. None of them were forcing them up. None of them were yelling with force. None of them laid a hand on them unless they were comfortable with it. The group was led over to the large eating hall where they were given amazing food to eat. Compared to their old home, what they had here was like they were dining as Kings. The eating hall was clean and well kept and the food tasted like heaven. The others were nice enough to help them make sure they were given enough food to catch them up on what they were lacking. And, that's how they ended up here. Food in hands, not wanting to stop eating. They ate and ate as much as they could, stuffing their faces with the delicious food. Julius had no problem with it, understanding they barely ate anything at the building. "So, today I will try to answer as many as I can. But of course, I want to answer what you want to know. So, what do you want to know?"

"Well, first things first." Arthur began first, not waiting for anyone else to speak up. "Where exactly are we...?"

"Right. That one is an easy one. We are currently stationed in a hidden, secluded location in the middle of a mountain range, evident by having to climb up the step hills rather than just walk around. This way, it will be harder for the men to refined us and take us back. You could call this place, a... sanctuary of sorts. A home away from home that is a _lot_ nicer than what you used to consider home. It's for children like you, me and everyone else here."

"But, vhat about vhere ve vere before? Vasn't zat ze same zing?" Gilbert asked with a mouth full of food, some crumbs from the bread threatening to fall to the floor. Julius shook his head.

"No. Well..." Julius paused as he thought about it. " _Sì e no_... That place _is_ a home, but not in the same sense as this is. Yes, they may take you in, claiming everything will be alright, but the ways they go about it is harsh and unbearable. We here aim to help you, not hurt you. What they do to children is the reason why this group was made; to combat their actions and ideas."

"What kind of ideas?" Antonio asked, looking at Julius in curiosity.

"They believe people like us are these... bad individuals. That we would harm everyone else, that we were a danger to society."

"A danger?" Feliciano cocked his head to the side. But, before Julius could reply to his grandson, the other spoke up.

"Wait, wait, wait just a damn minute!" All attention was dragged to the loud mouthed Italian who shot up next to his brother. "What's with the whole, 'people like us' deal, huh? What's so special about us?" Lovino spread his arm, emphasizing the whole group. Everyone's head slowly turned away from the Italian and back over to the speaker. That was a main point. A main point that he hasn't spoken about. Julius blinked, only to realize that he never _did_ explain it.

"Ah, that should have been something that I explained first." Julius cleared his throat before continuing. "Well... We, everyone here, are what the world calls, Dark Aura people. In modern society, people are classified into social groups depending on what color aura their body gives off when they are born. Some are yellow, some are blue, some are green, purple, red and so on. But, there are a few that give off a dark purple, almost black like color, when they are born. That is us. Ever since my father's generation, people who run the buildings you were in, planted a seed in every human's brains that we were bad. That we were this... danger to society and that we would hurt everyone around us if left alone. It wasn't long before every child that was caught with a Dark Aura was sent away to those building. What happens on the inside is hidden from the free world. Only _we_ know what happens in there. And, no matter what we try to do or say, no one ever listens to us. They treat us like outcasts. All because they think we going to harm them. That's why we had to build our own community. No one accepts us in the real world. We can only accept ourselves."

"That's just stupid!" Alfred yelled as he crossed his arms. "We didn't do _anything_! It's not like we can, you know, harm them! We're just like them!" Looking at each other, everyone nodded. Alfred _was_ right. How could they be feared if they were the same as everyone else? Turning back to Julius, the group was taken back and confused. Julius looked... sad. Like, there was something he wasn't telling them.

" _N-Nonno_ …?" Feliciano asked, pulling a sigh from the older Italian.

"Our Dark Aura isn't the only thing that makes us different from everyone else... The reason we are considered a danger is because... We aren't just _one_ person. We are, well, _two in one_..." Some of the group blink, some of their eyes widen, but one thing they all had in common was confusion.

"W-W'at…?" Francis spoke, just barely getting above a whisper. Julius slowly nodded, clearing his throat to make sure he was being heard right.

"We are not just one soul. We contain two. The two souls' aura contradict each other, making our auras dark. The darker your aura is, the more different the two of you are..."

"We have... a-another person..." Arthur's shaky voice began, too afraid to finish the sentence.

"Inside of u-us...?" Yao managed to finish up as his hand slowly rose to his chest.

"B-But, do not be afraid!" Julius quickly spoke, making everyone blink. "Do not be terrified! This soul, it cannot live without you. Both live side by side with you. Peacefully. They will _never_ put you in harm's way."

"Ve teach jou how to control _und_ bond viz zat ozer soul." A stern voice spoke. All heads turned towards the entrance in surprise. Walking in, was none other than Helmut; hands in his pockets and hair pushed behind his shoulders.

"Vhat...?" Gilbert questioned. Helmut looked down at the albino boy, but quickly looked away. The blond male made his way over the the older Italian before speaking again.

"Zis ozer side of us is not somezing to be feared. Zey are still, technically, us. Here, at zis camp, ve vork to make a tight, strong bond between ze two of jou. Ve do not believe zis ozer should be forced down. Zey have just as much right as jou do to be out _und_ about, freely"

"And... You're saying they will not try to harm us? What about someone else's?" Antonio asked, still a little concerned about this whole thing.

"Correct." Helmut nodded, answering the first question. Julius spoke up to answer the second part of the Spaniard's question.

"Some souls have tried to harm others, but most do not. So, do not worry. If that problem ever does appear, we will be right by your side to help."

"So... What is your plan then? How exactly do you plan to pull this... _other soul_ forward?" Lovino spoke up.

"Ve train."

 _~~Small Skip~~_

"For some of jou, this vill be easy. For ozers, it may take hours, or even days, of practice. Reaching ze ozer side isn't somezing zat is easily done." Helmut spoke as he walked down the line of children.

After the long discussion, the two adults ushered the group of children out of the building and into their training ground. Their training ground was a bit farther out from the camp, but close enough that they could easily make it back if there was trouble. The field was very large, despite being only a fourth of the camp's size. All the teens and young adults that were previously on the field were told to go work on their other jobs, as these 9 children need all the space that can be offered. The reason Helmut was the one walking around, and not Julius, was that he was needed elsewhere. But, Helmut couldn't be that bad... could he?

"It takes concentration. Determination. A fearless attitude. But!" Helmut stopped and whipped his head back to the group, making everyone freeze under his glare. "First zing's first. Who here has already seen ze ozer side? It is very common for children jour age to have already changed once before. Ones who have, though, should find zis process very easy. Jou have already created a small bond viz ze ozer soul. Now, jou vill vork to strengthen it." Helmut's eyes scanned the children as he spoke. "Zose who have not changed vill be vorking on creating one, got it?" All the children nodded. They were a bit confused, but they were too afraid to ask. "Now, answer my question from before. Who here has already used zeir ozer soul?"

Slowly, a couple hands rose up into the air making Helmut raise a brow. He wasn't expecting the amount of hands in the air. There was only a couple; Alfred, Arthur, and Ludwig, but those were just the only ones that could actually _remember_ changing. There could easily be more that had no clue that they had changed. Gilbert was actually taken back by his younger brother's had, but his curiosity would have to wait.

"Good. Story time will be saved for later. For now, jou zree have ze easiest job. Getting back into ze ozer side. Jou have done it before, vhether it be from fear or zem vanting to enjoy ze free vorld." Those three children nodded.

Helmut began walking back and forth once again, looking over the whole group. All eyes were on him, something that he enjoyed. Full attention.

"Now, for zose who have never had a connection, zis vill be difficult. Finding zat small opening takes time. Jou cannot rush it. But, once jou find it, the rest lines up viz ze ozer zree. Once jou find zat opening jou need to get zrough. On zat ozer side should sat ze ozer soul. Do not be afraid. Zey vill not hurt jou, no matter how harsh zey may act. Get comfortable _und_ have a conversation viz zem. Get to know zem. Once jou create a bond, jou now have a special connection. Jou vill have to vork to get zat bond as strong as possible. It vill take up monzs of jou time here. But, once jou become fully connected jou can call upon zem for help und communicate freely." Helmut tapped his head, getting everyone to nod.

"Good. Now, close jour eyes. Concentrate. _Und_... begin..."

* * *

 **~Italian~  
 _Sì-_ Yes**  
 ** _Sì e no-_ Yes and No  
**

 **~German~  
 _Und_ -And**

* * *

 **OMG! AN UPDATE! FINALLY! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!  
Ahem... Anyway... Yes, it's been so long since I posted an update. I may be dead on the inside, but this story isn't! I promise I am working on new chapters and I'm very pleased on how they've been turning out. I just haven't been... very creative... sorry... :/  
Yes, this one is short, very short. And, again, I'm sorry. The next part is going to be decently long (I think) and I didn't want to add it into this chapter to be super long.  
Thanks for sicking with me. For following, favoriting, and reviewing. They all mean so much. Let me know how you're enjoy the story and how I could improve it. If I made any mistakes in spelling, or grammar, please inform me and I will gladly fix it.  
Once again, thank you all for sicking with me and I hope to update a lot more. (Hopefully) **


	14. Chapter 14

**~Translation Help~**

 **German-Kathy2378**

* * *

"I'm so over this process already..." The British teen sighed as he placed the food from his plate into his mouth.

"Why is zat?" Francis' head lifted up to look at the teen.

"This... whole secondary soul thing..." Arthur continued, looking down at his food. "I didn't believe it at first. I thought everyone here was crazy. That they had gone off the deep end. But... actually _meeting_ my other soul...? He's a whole new level of crazy compared to the people around here..."

"You think _yours_ is crazy?! Wait till you see mine, you bastard!" Lovino's raised voice caught the attention of the rest of the small group, slowly pulled them into the conversation.

"He's scary..." Feliciano lightly shook as he talk about his own soul. He sat next to his brother, still not too comfortable leaving him.

"Mine isn't too bad." Alfred spoke up, placing the slice of meat in his mouth. "He's opinions are, like, the complete opposite of mine though. So, we fight a lot." The group of 9 was pulled into a conversation about the other soul in their bodies. Well... not the _whole_ group... Gilbert sat at the edge of the table, spinning his fork around in the food that laid barely touched.

" _Bruder_?" Ludwig's light voice dragged the older sibling out of his thoughts. Blinking, he looked up. His eyes landed within Ludwig's, seeing all the concern in them. Quickly, Gilbert placed a smile upon his face.

" _Ja_?"

"You are not speaking viz ze group about your ozer soul like you vould be doing. Vhy not?" Ludwig spoke softly as he questioned. Gilbert froze before giving the younger German a light smile.

"I don't vant to talk about him too much. I don't know too much about him yet." Ludwig stayed silent for a minute. It was like he was examining his brother. Before Gilbert's worry could rise, Ludwig nodded.

"Alright." It _was_ a bit off for Gilbert, to not be gloating, but made he was changing. "You can alvays tell me vhen you feel comfortable." Gilbert, playing the older brother role, chuckled and ruffled up his younger brother's hair. Which Ludwig quickly pulled away from to fix his hair. He hated his hair as is, but hated it even more when Gilbert messed with it.

"Of course~" Ludwig nodded and turned back to the rest of the group. Well, mainly Feliciano as they had grown a close friendship between one another after Kiku was taken... Gilbert's mood hit rock bottom once again, allowing him to release a sigh. Glancing down at his food, he seemed to have lost his appetite. He grabbed his plate and stood up from his seat. He carried it back over to the people who had given it to him in the first place. The female there was quick to notice him, looking at him in confusion.

"What's wrong Gilbert?" The albino male looked up with a shy smile, handing his plate back over to her.

"I'm not really hungry zis afternoon. I had a large _Frühstück_. Could you give my food to someone else who needs it?" The female blinked, but nodded sweetly.

"Of course. _Xie, Xie_." Gilbert nodded and handed the fully plate back to her. With a wave, Gilbert left the eating hall basically unnoticed. No one in his group seem to notice, or even care, that he left. Sticking his hands into his pocket he began to kick around lose rocks, picking up dirt with it. Why _him_? Was he just... an accident? Did he even _have_ a second soul? Was his aura actually dark? Or was it that it was all a mistake...? If not, then why was no one answering him...? Why was his second soul staying quiet...? Walking to the other side of the camp, he decided to give himself some alone time. Why waist hours of his life with the group if he couldn't fit in…?

Breaking away from the camp, Gilbert first made sure he wasn't followed. When all seemed safe, Gilbert turn towards the rocky wall and slipped into a small crack that ran just large enough for him to fit. Minutes of weaving and ducking later, the male arrived deep in the rock that surrounded the camp. Slowly lowering his body to the ground, he sat on the cold floor below him. He curled his knees up and hid his face within them. He had found this spot not too long ago, when he was exploring the area for fun. It was dark. It was quiet. No one would be able to find him. No one would be able to watch the bigger member in the group, cry.

Why couldn't he reach this other soul? Why was everyone seeing and speaking with theirs, yet he has yet to get a glimpse? Why was everyone going farther than him? _The awesome one_? The one who wanted to become a leader? His light crying echoed throughout the small hole, bouncing from wall to wall. His crying was pushed right back into his ears and hearing himself cry, made him feel worse. He just continues to break down. He hated this! He hated this so much!

"Vhy?! Vhy can't I do zis?!" His arm swung around, fist slamming against the wall. Yet, it never hit. It didn't feel like the hard, rocky wall. No. It felt... soft... like skin. Quickly, Gilbert's head shot up in worry. Someone had found him. Looking past the long blond hair and into deep blue eyes, Gilbert came eye to eye with a kneeling Helmut. His large hand had made its way between the rock wall and the Albino's hand, catching it before he could hit the hard surface. "H-Helmut?!" Gilbert's eyes widened, pulling his arm away and inching back.

"Vhat are you doing in here?" Helmut's deep voice spoke as a monotone expression was placed upon his face.

"I-I-" The teen quickly began trying to fix himself as he pulled his hand away. " _Es tut mir leid_!" He went to stand, though Helmut's hand grabbed a hold onto his thin arm and pulled him back down.

"I asked you a question." Speaking with a stern voice, Helmut forced Gilbert to gulp.

"I-I was... hiding..." The teen managed to just barely stutter out.

"Hiding? From who?" Helmut continued to push forwards. Gilbert's head fell as his body grew tense.

"Myself..." He hid his face behind his long, fallen bangs, not wanting to look into Helmut's eyes.

"Vhy?" Helmut sat on the ground, blocking the way out. He was going to get the answers he wanted before letting the teen leave. But, that question pushed all the wrong buttons in the albino.

"Vhy? _Vhy_?! You vant to know vhy?!" Gilbert's head shot up with narrowed eyes. "Because I can't do it! I'm a failure! I let everyone down! I let _Ludwig_ down! All because zere is no one on zat ozer side!" Tears rolled down the teen's face. He couldn't do it. He couldn't be like everyone else. Why did he continue to fail being like everyone else?

Helmut just stared at the crying teen with no sorrow or remorse. He didn't speak a word either and that made Gilbert angry.

"Aren't you going to say anyzing?!" Gilbert yelled, forcing more tears to roll down his face. Then teen shot up, pushing his face directly into the adult's face. "Don't just be an _Arschloch und_ stare at me!" Even though Gilbert was shouting his head off, having his voice bounce against the the walls, he was scared. Inside, he was scared of what might happen because he was yelling at Helmut. But, he wasn't going to show that. No. If he did, he would seem weak. And, he hated that feeling.

Helmut looked into the teen's violet-red eyes, seeing the fire burn. Reaching up, Gilbert expected a slap across the face, or something of the sort, but all the adult did was grab a lock of his hair. Feeling it in his fingers, Helmut spoke.

"Vhat color is your hair?" Gilbert was taken back. No violence? No yelling? What was he thinking about...?

"M-My... hair...?"

"Answer ze question."

"I-It's more of a... um... silver color...?"

" _Und_ your eyes?" Gilbert blinked, once again, in confusion.

"Kinda purple...? A-And a little bit of red..."

"Vhen you vere back home, all zoughs years ago, did anybody every make fun of you for your differences?"

"N-No..." Gilbert was confused. Growing more and more by the minute. What was he getting at? What were all the questions for? But then, Helmut spoke.

"Zen vhy beat yourself up over not reaching ze ozer side yet if no one has made fun of you?" Gilbert was forced to paused. Why _was_ he beating himself over this? Why was he being such a wimp about not meeting this other person? Helmut had a point... A great point... "Hm?"

"I-I... I just want to fit in..." Gilbert lowered his eyes to the ground. "I-I vant to reach zat ozer person like everyone else..." Helmut released a light sigh, sitting himself down to be in a more comfortable position. Which, was very difficult for sitting on rock.

"Vhat did ve say about zis?"

"E-Everyone reaches ze ozer side at different times..." Gilbert's head fell down to the ground, just barely muttering the sentence.

"Zis just means you are a late bloomer. Zat's all."

"But I vant to meet him _now_. I don't vant to vait _days, veeks, monzs_! Zat's too long! How can help _Ludwig_ , if he needed me? I von't know vhat to say because I still can't talk to zis person!"

"Gilbert, calm down." Helmut pushed the teen back down as he began rising up in anger. "Getting angry is ze opposite emotion you vant." Gilbert slowly relaxed himself, closing his eyes and falling back down to the ground. He _was_ getting too worked up over this. He shouldn't be lashing out at the adult. It's not his fault. He's just different. He was different from the beginning, all the way back when he was born. "Let me help you." Gilbert snapped out of his thoughts as the adult spoke. Slowly looking up towards him, the teen blinked.

"V-Vhat...?"

"Zere is... anozer vay of reaching your ozer soul. It just..."

" _Was_? Vhat is it? Please." Gilbert shot to his knees, wanting to know. Helmut narrowed his eyes and pushed him back down.

"Listen to me." He spoke sternly. "Doing zis... Doing zis can damage you _und_ your ozer soul. Zat's vhy ve do _not_ teach this as a way to reach zem." Gilbert's eyes slowly widened.

"H-How...?" Helmut looked down at Gilbert with narrowed eyes. He was curious. He was desperate. He wanted to know. He wanted to be like everyone else when he clearly had something special. He just couldn't see it... Slowly releasing a sigh, Gilbert's eyes to grew. He would regret this. He would regret this if Gilbert got hurt. But... He wanted to help... Help him feel like he wasn't an outcast...

"Take a memorable moment zat happened to you." Gilbert quickly nodded with eager, and closed his eyes to think. "After you find zat memory, _twist it. Destroy it_." Gilbert froze. Helmut waited for the albino to nod, making sure he wanted to continue. "Your ozer soul either never had zat memory or zey lived it in a different light. _Und_ if zey lived it, it vas zeir vorst. If all goes according to plan, you should see a memory being played. Go zrough it _und_ find your ozer soul. It should be too hard."

"Zen... Vhy is it dangerous...?" Gilbert spoke softly, looking up at Helmut. Helmut looked down at the boy, eyes covered with seriousness.

"It is a memory. A close memory. Your brain, if not careful, vill take it as its own. In turn, ze memory vill clash viz every ozer memory you have, permanently damaging your brain. _Und_ in severe cases, killing you." Gilbert froze.

Death...? Was all of this worth it if he had a chance if never recovering...? But... Gilbert looked down at his hands, slowly closing them into a fist. This other soul, this part of him... Thinking about all the events that happened in his life and how the other took it... No wonder he didn't want to come out if hiding. There was probably so much pain... So much sadness and hatred... Gilbert's fists clenched, looking at Helmut with a nod.

"I know ze risks. I know ze consequences. But... I vant to see my ozer soul." Helmut's face held a hint of surprise. How stupid could this kid be? Either way, Helmut laid back against the rocky wall.

"I vill be here. If you're not back quickly, I'm going to carry you back into ze camp for a better resting spot." Gilbert nodded, lowing his head and closing his eyes. Pulling through his memories, the teen found the perfect one. His favorite one. A light sigh escaped his lips as his body relaxed. As soon as his head fell to the side, Helmut closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. "Come back in one piece, _Dummkopf_."

* * *

Opening his eyes, the albino teen was met with a bright blue shy shinning down on him. Dotted across the blue littered white puffy clouds of all shapes and sizes. Slowly pushing himself up Gilbert had to blink a couple of times to make sure he was seeing this right. Standing in front of him was a small school. Not just any school though, the school that he went to. He had only attended the school for about half a year before being taken away and forced into that building. According to Ludwig, their parents never wishes to send him off. He was taken away without a word. Besides that, school wasn't a bad time for him. He rather enjoyed seeing all the kids. They were always fun to play with and everyone was always really smart. He only had a few bad days here and that was because he's always been a trouble maker. But, that's not why he was here. He was here on a mission. A mission to find his other soul.

Pushing himself up, the teen slowly walked up to the school, remember all the memories he had here. Slowly walking father and father into the school, the teen began to find that most of it seemed the exact same from what he could remember. Apparently the memories weren't that different from each other after all. There were small children that ran past him, laughing, as if they couldn't see him. There were children in the small classrooms off to the side, learning for the 'day'. Like stated before, this school was a very small school, housing only a few children. This was mainly a place where children began learning before they began real school. A... preschool, of sorts.

Walking towards the back of the school, Gilbert slipped into the classroom where he was placed in. Class here seemed to have ended for today, seeing as many children weren't in the room. Ones that were here had their book bags on their back and were waiting to be picked up. Everything seemed to be exactly as he remembered it. It actually made him smile. He missed these old days... days where he had no clue about the color of auras. It was only then he realized a small group had huddled in the back corner of the room. The thing that caught his attention was the sounds. There were a couple thuds along with what sounded like a muffled yip of pain. Quickly realizing what was going on, Gilbert rushed over. His hand latched onto the kids' arms, pulling them away. Pushing his way through, the teen managed to get in between the one on the ground and the bullies.

" _Was_ _macht ihr_ _? Lasst ihn in Ruhe!_ " Gilbert yelled, putting his arms out to protect the kid on the ground. When he wasn't getting hit anymore, the child on the ground glanced up just enough to be taken back upon seeing a person sticking up for him. The 3 kids quickly caught themselves, standing back up and blinking. They all looked at each other before pulling up a smirk.

" _Wer ist das, du Freak? Dein Zwilling?_ " The one of the side bullies spoke up, placing his hands on his hips.

" _Er ist genauso so beschissen wie du_." The second side bully snickered. Gilbert had to stop for a moment. What was going on...? Looking down at himself, Gilbert was surprised to find that he stood at the same height as the other kids. It was almost like he had lost 10 years of his physical life.

" _Was ist mit euch Freaks und alte Haare? Werdet ihr bald sterben?_ " The main bully walked over and grabbed a hand full of Gilbert's hair, almost like he was trying to rip it out.

" _Hör auf damit! Das tut weh!_ " Using all of his strength, Gilbert shoved the kid away. The kid was actually knocked back a couple of feet, being forced into the other 2 children. All 3 of them quickly toppled to the ground. Gilbert was, actually, just as shocked as the children where about his strength. All 3 children looked at each other with shock upon their faces. Though, it was quick to change to smirks.

" _Du denkest, dass du uns herumschubsen kannst_ _? Freak?"_ The main child spoke as all 3 of them managed to push themselves back up to stand. " _Niemand mag Leute wie euch_ _._ _Ihr werdet nie dazu gehören_ _. Wir tun den Kindern nur einen Gefallen_." Slowly, the 3 began inching towards the teen. His eyes were pulled down to the ground upon catching a shine that wasn't there before. What he saw, caused him to freeze. In all 3 of the children's hands, were knifes. Small enough to hide, yet big enough to do damage. Gilbert found that he couldn't move, like he was frozen in fear. They were planning on hurting this kid?! And now, they were going to hurt him. Taking one last look at each other before turning back at the teen and rushing him.

Before Gilbert knew what was happening, something strong grabbed a hold of his arm, pulling him back against the wall. Looking up to see what was going on the kid who was previously on the floor had shot up and rushed over to the left. Surprisingly, the kid pulled down the shelf that was standing there, forcing the 3 children to a halt. Without questions, the kid rushed back over to Gilbert, grabbed onto his arm once more and rushed out the door as the children were distracted. Upon realizing what was happening, the main child in the group of bullies growled.

" _Ihr könnt davonlaufen, aber ihr könnt nicht entkommen_ _! Ficker!_ " Quickly, the 3 jumped over the fallen shelf and began chasing after. Gilbert quickly caught his footing and began to run with the kid, trying not to slow their pace down. He didn't want to get caught. No. He was going to be killed! He didn't want to die!

The children seemed to wind left and right throughout the halls, almost like a maze. It was like the school wanted to keep them in. It was only after what seemed like forever the two managed to brake out. The force they ran out of the school with launched them into a patch of grass in front of the school. The two just laid there, trying to regain their breath. Out of no where, the boy began coughing, causing alarm in Gilbert. Quickly, he turned himself around and looked up at the kid.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Slowly Gilbert crawled over, forgetting to speak in German in the moment. The boy slowly nodded his head, calming his coughing down bit by bit. Once his breathing became stable he glanced up, coming eye to eye with the teen. Once Gilbert pushed himself up, he lent a hand for the kid to take. Slowly, the boy placed his hand in Gilbert's and was slowly pulled up. Glancing back at the door, Gilbert was thankful that those 3 kids hadn't jumped out after them. Maybe they couldn't leave... They _were_ school bullies.

"Vhy..." The boy spoke with such a soft tone, it caught Gilbert off guard. But another thing was, that it was in English. He spoke English too? Was this...

"Vhy vhat?" Gilbert questioned, turning back to the kid.

"Vhy... did you... save me...?" It was almost like he was afraid to speak. Why would he be afraid to speak...? But more importantly, why was he questioning the help he received?

"I couldn't just, you know, _leave_ you alone to get beaten. No one should be bullied. Zat's just low." The boy stood there, blinking. But, that only created more questions into the albino's mind. Had no one ever been nice to him? He acted like all he got were fists and shouts. Now that they had some time, Gilbert was able to get a good look at him. He bore messy silver-blond hair, like his own, that reached down past his shoulders. His eyes were a very light violet-blue and held little joyous emotions in them. Gilbert was pulled out of examination as he noticed the boy beginning to stepping back. "Hey, vhat's vrong?" He questioned, taking a step forwards. But, the kid just continued to back up faster.

"H-Who are you...?" He questioned. All Gilbert did was blink. "I-I've never seen you i-in here before..." He began shaking, almost as if he was going to get hurt. But it didn't take long for the teen to realize what was going on. He had just jumped into this memory. A memory that wasn't his own. This kid had lived it over and over again, and yet this was the first time he was seeing the Albino. With a smile on his face, Gilbert held his hand out to shake.

" _Mein Name ist Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt_."

" _D-Die Gastgeberseele..._ " The boy whispered, just loud enough that it just barely brushed past Gilbert's ears. He continued to back up, though.

"Zen I vas right, you must be my second soul. Then-" Interrupting his sentence, the second soul turned on his heel and bolted off. Gilbert's eyes quickly widened. " _W-Warte_!" Gilbert stumbled over his feet, but quickly sprinting after the child. It _was_ true. That _was_ his second soul. So... Why was he running? Was he afraid? If so, why? Gilbert wasn't going to hurt him. Did he think he was going to be harmed?

The soul turned his head to glance over his shoulder, wondering if he had lost the teen. But, to his horror, Gilbert wasn't anything more than 7 feet behind him. His pace quickly increased, trying to ditch Gilbert. It actually surprised Gilbert at how fast the kid was running. It was like he was running his whole life.

Out of no where, in the distance, a house began to appear and the child was running right towards it. Instead of running into the front door however, the second soul began climbing up boxes and ledges, knocking them to the ground so Gilbert's couldn't follow. With his strength, he pulled himself up the house and to an open window which he jumped into. He then promptly slammed it shut and pulled the curtains together, shutting himself in. Quickly coming to a stop Gilbert placed his hands on his knees, bending over, as he began to catch his breath. That run actually took a lot out of him. Glancing up at the window, it seemed the kid wasn't about to watch him. Gilbert sighed, lowing his head once more. How was he supposed to talk to his kid if he just wants to run away?

Once his breathing leveled out he walked around a bit, wanting to look for another way in. However, there was none. All the doors were locked, the windows were jammed and the glass acted like rubber. He tried throwing a rock at it, yet it just bounced off. Gilbert was forced back over to what he could guess to be the child's room window. He still wasn't there. What was going on? He just wanted to talk... Quickly, a thought came to mind. Maybe the house wasn't _sound_ proof.

"Hey! Listen kid! I'm not going to hurt you! I promise! I just vant to talk!" Gilbert began to yell. "Please! I do not vish to hurt you eizer!" Nothing. Gilbert sighed as his eyes fell to the ground. Why was he so scared? Why did he insist in hiding? Clearing his throat, Gilbert shouted again. Maybe if he told the soul his situation, he would actually listen. "Listen! If I stay here too long ve could both be hurt! Really bad too! I just vant to talk! _Bitte_!" Everything went quiet after that. Gilbert kept his eye on the window, not wanting to miss any movement.

To his surprise, the curtains slowly move to the side as the second soul pushed his head through. Though, just enough to look out. His violet-blue eye locked with Gilbert's violet-red eyes. Very slowly, the base of the window rose, just enough for a body to fit through. When the boy pulled away, Gilbert took it as being invited in. With a smile, Gilbert stacked up the couple of boxes just so he could get a hold on the house. Once he found a steady hold he began climbing up the side of the house. Slowly, Gilbert pulled himself up to the window and slid in. It was actually a lot harder than it looked! It was like this boy had done this his whole life.

Upon pulling himself into the window, there was nothing to catch his body, so he fell straight to the floor. Landing on his back, Gilbert released a wine in pain. It hurt, but it wasn't too bad. When the albino opened his eyes they were directly met with the sharp tip of a sword. Running his eyes quickly down the weapon, he locked eyes with his second soul's eyes once more. He was the wielder of the sword.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hold on!" Gilbert put his hands up as he slowly rotated his body around and sat up. "I told you! I'm not going to hurt you! _Bitte_ , put ze veapon down. I'm not a threat... " The male eyed Gilbert up and down, with narrowed eyes. Gilbert's heart continued to pound in his chest, afraid of being hurt. Very slowly the soul lowered the sword allowing Gilbert to release a sigh of relief.

"Talk." The boy spoke with assertiveness in his tone. Gilbert's eyes trailed back up, only to see someone a bit different than before. It _was_ the soul, but he now held the body of a teenage male. Quickly glancing down at his own, he was filled with relief as his body was changed back as well. Slowly glancing back up at the soul, the teen spoke as commanded.

"Like I vas _saying_ , my name is Gilbert. Clearly you know who I am so you must know who _you_ are."

"So?" The teen narrowed his eyes, making Gilbert blink.

"So?!" Gilbert rose his voice. The sudden shout caused the second soul to jump a bit. Gilbert quickly lowered his voice back down. "Listen, I've been trying to talk to you for veeks now. I vanted to see you, yet you vouldn't appear..." The teen in front of him slowly lowered his head and turned it away, almost like he was disappointed and saddened.

"I-I... I-I know..." He spoke softly. The albino's eyes widened.

"You know? Then why? Have you been avoiding me...?" There was a very light nod in response. Gilbert's eyes softened as he slowly pushed his body up to stand, reaching out to the other teen. The second soul jumped in surprise as Gilbert's fingers wrapped around his hand. Glancing up and looking into Gilbert's eyes, the second soul say worry and concern. Something he hadn't seen in along time form someone... Dropping his sword to the ground the teen allowed Gilbert to pull him in closer. Forcing him to take a seat on the ground, Gilbert turned to face him. "Vhy? I never vanted to hurt you. I never even knew about you until a couple monzs ago. How can you fear me if ve've never even met?" The boy stayed quiet for a moment. Was he questioning himself or just stalling?

"A-A long time ago..." The soul began with a stutter. "I-I managed to see your vorld by pushing through. Vhat I saw... I saw vhat your life vas like _und_ I... I grew jealous..."

"Jealous?" Gilbert blinked.

" _Ja..._ Compared to my life, yours is much happier... You have friends _und_ zey laugh _und_ play _with_ you... not laughed at _und_ avoided..." Gilbert paused as the teen lowered his head, playing with his fingers as he spoke. He was... bullied...

"Is zat vhat zose boys vhere doing?" The teen slowly nodded.

"C-Compared to me, everyone _vants_ to be your friend. Because you vere different. But, because _I_ vas different, I vas made fun of..." Gilbert's eyes softened. How would have thought that his second soul was so different from him...? He would have guess it was just small things here and there, but his whole _life_ was different from his own. Gilbert's hands grabbed onto the teen's, causing him to look up in confusion.

"I like you because you're different." The albino smiled. The male's eyes widened in shock.

" _W-Was_ …?" His voice barely pushed above a whispered.

"Yeah! I mean, if _I'm_ different vhy voudn't I like someone like me? Ve boz have silver hair, ve boz have cool eye colors. You're almost exactly like me. _Of course_ I like you!" The teen across from him seemed to almost be in tears. It was like Gilbert was the first person, _ever_ , to be nice to him.

"Y-You mean it...? Y-You really mean it...?" He managed to choke out. Gilbert gave a firm nod with a smile.

"Of course! Come on, let's be friends. I vant a cool soul, like you, as my friend." The second soul gave a light smile in response. He's always wanted a friend... "So! Do you have a name I can call you? My second soul is a mouth full..." The soul grew silent, causing Gilbert to blink.

"I... I never really had a name... I don't live a life like you, so I vas never given a name..." His eyes fell to the ground. Gilbert's own eyes softened, feeling sorry for the second soul. "And, in the rare chance that they actually _call_ my name, it would be your, the host soul."

"Oh..." Quickly, the room grew quiet, unknown what to say to one another. They were two similar souls, yet nothing alike. The second soul and Gilbert, where complete opposites. "So..." Gilbert questioned, causing the soul to look up. "How did you find out zat you are my second soul? I mean... I'm really new to all this and such so..."

"It kinda hard to explain." Gilbert turned to look back at the teen. "Ever since I could remember, I've always had zis... feeling zat I vasn't... ze only one. Vhen i broke through _und_ I managed to see your vorld, zat's vhen I knew I vasn't exactly my own soul. From zat point on, time hasn't moved. I've been suck on loop. Zat is... until _you_ showed up." The soul bared a light smile, pulling a smile out of Gilbert as well. It was nice to see him smile.

"How vas my vorld compared to yours? You seem to like it a lot more." He quickly nodded his head.

"Oh, of course. Everyone vas a lot friendlier _und_ you have so many friends." Gilbert turned his body to face his second soul with a smile. This action pulled confusion upon the second soul.

" _Well_ ~ I'm sure zey vould be glad to have _you_ as a friend." The teen's eyes slowly widened as he realized what Gilbert was pushing.

"A-Are you saying...?"

"You need to breathe a little." Gilbert's smile was so nice. It was warm and caring. He wasn't, at all, what he originally painted him as. He was giving his second soul free range. To actually go out and see the word. Maybe he could... maybe, just maybe... The soul looked into Gilbert's eyes with a light nod. He wanted this. He was going to see the outside world.

* * *

 **~German~**  
 _ **Bruder**_ **-Brother**  
 _ **Ja**_ **-Yes**  
 _ **Frühstück-**_ **Breakfast**  
 _ **Es tut mir leid-**_ **I'm sorry**  
 _ **Arschloch-**_ **Asshole**  
 _ **Und**_ **-And**  
 _ **Was-**_ **What  
 _Dummkopf-_ Idiot**  
 _ **Was macht ihr**_ **?-What are you doing?** _ **  
Lasst ihn in Ruhe-**_ **Leave him alone**  
 _ **Wer ist das, du Freak?-**_ **Who is this, you freak?**  
 _ **Dein Zwilling?**_ **-Your twin?**  
 _ **Er ist genauso beschissen wie du-**_ **He's just as fucked up as you are**  
 _ **Was ist mit euch Freaks und alte Haare?-**_ **What's with you freaks and old hair?**  
 ** _Werdet ihr bald sterben_** _ **?-**_ **You gonna die soon?**  
 _ **Hör auf damit!-**_ **Knock it off!**  
 _ **Das tut weh!-**_ **That hurts!**  
 _ **Du denkest, dass du uns herumschubsen kannst?-**_ **You think you can shove us around?** _ **  
Niemand mag Leute wie euch-**_ **No one likes people like you** _ **  
Ihr werdet nie dazu geh** **ö** **ren-**_ **You'll never fit in** _ **  
**_ ** _Wir tun den Kindern nur einen Gefallen_** _ **-**_ **We're just doing the kids a favor**  
 _ **Ihr könnt davonlaufen, aber ihr könnt nicht entkommen!-**_ **You can run, but you can't escape!** _ **  
Ficker!-**_ **Fucker!**  
 _ **Mein Name ist Gilbert-**_ **My name is Gilbert**  
 _ **Die Gastgeberseele-**_ **The host soul**  
 _ **Warte-**_ **Wait**  
 _ **Bitte**_ **-Please**

 **~Chinese~**  
 _ **Xie, Xie-**_ **Thank you**

* * *

 **Hello again~ I know, I know, it been** _ **really**_ **long. TOO long. I'm sorry. I really have no excuse. I really love this story and I want to work on it more. I just wish I had more free time... Yes, I know there is a** _ **ton**_ **of German and accents, and I am very sorry if it becomes difficult to read. I'll try to play around with which words I can remove the accent from as well as find other words to limit the amount of accents. I personally love putting in accents to my stories. I enjoy being able to understated how a character talks.  
Anyway, yes. I **_**will**_ **continue to work on this, just as turtles pace, it seems ;-; Hopefully this long chapter will make up for my missed ones...  
I'm glad you are all sicking with me and are still enjoying the story. If you speak any language in this chapter and I made a mistake, please inform me and I will fix it right away, as well as any major grammar/spelling mistakes. It helps me out a lot when I get feedback from you guys. And **_**thank you**_ **all for the reviews, follows, and favorites. It means a lot.  
Well, Happy reading~ ^_^**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone! Long time no see~ Now, I'm not sure if everyone reads the footnote at the bottom, so I'm going to put this up here. It is _very_ important to me and I _really_ want, no _NEED,_ your opinions. I read the comments and I noticed how some of you have a problem reading, _especially_ when Ludwig, Gilbert, and Helmut are speaking. So, I need to know. Would you all prefer if I continued to add the accent ticks ( _Ze, viz, rong, raugh_ ) or remove them as add that they speak with an accent ( _'_ _Come with us!' He said with a hint of his German accent pushing_ _through._ ) Please let me know and I will change it in further stories and chapters. For this chapter, I will remove the accent ticks and let you all decide which one you all like better. It would mean a lot to me if you took time to just just say ' _hey, I like the accents!_ ' or _'no, please remove them_ ', whether it be in the reviews or a Privet Message. So, thank you for your responses and happy reading~**

* * *

"Are you crazy?! You're going to end up killing him! What in god's name were you thinking?!"

"He's going to be okay. There is no need to yell at me."

"Do I need to repeat myself?! He's not going to make it! No one ever does!" Helmut's eyes raised as he noticed color behind the male yelling at him changed. Tilting his head in a way to just barely see behind the man, the older man sighed.

"Now look at what you did. You're yelling has attracted the rest of the group." Julius' eyes widened. Quickly whipping around, the Italian saw 8 teenagers; the other members of Gilbert's group. All, of which, where standing at the entrance to the building.

" _Nonno_...?" The younger Italian out of the two spoke up, taking a step forwards with concern all over his face. Realization hit the grandfather. They had heard everything... Slowly, Julius walked over and lowered his body to look into his grandson's eyes.

"Feli... Listen, it's not safe here. For you or any of your friends." Glancing behing the Italian, Julius met eye to eye with the other members of Gilbert's group. "You all need to head back to your tent."

"We're not just going to leave Gilbert! He's our best friend." Francis spoke up, taking astep forwards. Antonio head bobbed in agreeance. Worry filled Julius' eyes. He glanced back at Helmut, who stayed exactly where he was since he first walked in here with Gilbert. Not even 10 minutes ago, the tall German walked in with Gilbert resting limp in his arms. Instantly, everyone at the camp was concerned. Julius refused entry to anyone else besides him and Helmut, as this was a problem only between the two of them. At least... for a short while... The group seems to care quite a bit for their friend. And, why shouldn't they?

" _Por favore_ , let Helmut and I deal with this. W-We'll send him out as soon as he wakes." Julius tried to force a smile, hoping the children would just listen to him for once. While Helmut, on the other hand, was completely dumbfounded. What was Julius trying to pull? Did he really think that this teens were that stupid? That they would just believe the crap he was trying to feed to them?

"You _just_ said that he _wasn't_ going to make it!" Alfred spoke up, causing Julius to freeze. Yes... Of course... What was he thinking...?

"So which is it?" Arthur folded his arms across his chest and looked at the adult with narrowed eyes. While Julius was busy trying to calm down the crowd of children, Helmut sat across the room, chuckling to himself quietly. The both of them anticipated the group being close, having lived together for almost their entire life. However, no rescued group had ever come _this close_ , in terms of bonds, as this group. It was like they were a family. They helping one another. They cared for one another. They would throw themselves in the way of a bomb if it threatened the group.

"Guys, please." Julius pushed forwards, trying blocking the entrance as much as he could. "It would be better if you didn't enter right now..." However, one child wasn't having it. Not one bit. Pushing past the group, the blond haired boy stood tall in front of the older Italian. His icy blue eyes narrowed with anger. Nothing had to be spoken to get his point across. With a quick, hard push Ludwig shoved past the adult and proceeded to enter, knocking him back a couple feet with little effort. The group watched the German with a hint of surprise, but were happy he did so. Following Ludwig, the group of 8 enter as well. However, both Julius _and_ Helmut were taken back at what they just witnessed. Where did such a small boy get all this strength from?

Ludwig managed to catch Helmut's eye watching him. He didn't stand up to stop him or open his mouth to speak. No. He just sat there, watching. Deciding to ignore the other blond hired male, the German walked into the center of the room, where a table was rested. Upon that table held none other than his brother. The group all came to a halt, allowing Ludwig to be by his brother, alone. Ludwig stared at Gilbert's body, watching his chest slowly and faintly rise and fall. He didn't move nor did he twitch. What was happening to him...? Ludwig began to shake. His fists clenched as his head fell to look at the ground, refusing to meet anyone's look with tears in his.

" _W-Warum_...?" Ludwig spoke softly. Before Feliciano could step out to comfort his friend, the young German boy's body fell upon the body on the table. With his hands gripping onto the clothing, Ludwig shook as he cried. He had no clue if Gilbert would wake. He had no clue what was happening to him. No one did... For most of his life, Ludwig thought he was alone. But as soon as he was forced into that building he learned that he had a brother. A brother that cared for him deeply. He can't lose him. " _Dummkopf_! Why didn't you tell me about this! You are _mein Bruder_! Don't die... _Bitte_..." Pulling away from his own brother, the young Italian slowly made his way over to the German, wrapping his arms around him. Ludwig's body froze for a second but slowly relaxed and allowed the Italian to hug him.

"What did Gilbert do...?" Yao spoke up, stepping forwards to get a better look at the older German.

"Gilbert was having trouble communicating with his soul." Helmut spoke up, directing all attention to him. "While the rest of you were chatting _und_ getting to know your other soul, Gilbert, well...had yet to even reach into the other side." Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened. Gilbert was...that far behind...? Why? And why did he never mention it? They had so many question, yet no answers. "So, I went ahead _und_ tried to help him. He'll be back soon." A disrupting, annoyed sounds came from Julius as soon as Helmut finished, attracting all the attention over to him. To the group's surprise his eyes glared down at the German adult, who seemed to be sitting pretty relaxed for someone who was about to get yelled at. "What?" Helmut asked, pushing out his German accent for fun. That allowed Julius to finally explode.

"Our job here is to help these kids, not put them in danger! You know God's well why we don't teach this method anymore, yet you just throw Gilbert right into it!"

"Shut up!" Ludwig's voice boomed over Julius. Everyone in the room froze, surprised over how loud the German boy could yell. Slowly, everyone turned thier attention to the teen. Instantly, everyone's eyes fell upon Gilbert, seeing his body fidgeting about. While Helmut just glanced at the teen Julius was the one to rush over. He began checking his pulse, placing his fingers on different parts of the body. When he found a clear one he took a moment to relax and listen. "His heart is increasing in pace." Julius turned back around, keeping his eyes narrowed at Helmut.

"He's fine." Helmut simple stated. But, that didn't help the situation. No one bit.

"Fine?!" Leaving the albino at the table, Julius marched over to Helmut, getting right in his face. "Does that look fine to you?!"

" _Ja_." That simple, one word response in German cause Julius to grab his hair in frustration.

"I swear...!"

" _Nonno_! It's okay!" Feliciano's voice spoke up at he rushed over and latched himself onto the adult. Looking down, the two Italians came eye to eye allowing the older Italian to see the concern and worry in his grandson's eyes. Slowly, the rage and frustration drained from the adult as he released a heavy, drawn out sigh.

"Alright... Alright. You know, Gilbert might still be okay."

"Hey, is this normal?" The American's voice question. All heads turned towards him, seeing him stand right next to the table. They watched in shock as Gilbert's white hair slowly grew past his chin and stopping as soon as it's length was a bit past his shoulders.

"This is either really good news or quite the opposite..." Julius spoke softly.

"What do you mean...?" Lovino spoke up for the group.

"Two things may happen upon reaching your soul. You either take them as your partner-"

"-or they take the body over _und_ you're lost forever." Julius began speaking, however he was quickly interrupted by Helmut.

"What?!" Francis and Antonio both yelled, their voices blending together.

"Way to put it nicely!" Julius smacked Helmut on the chest, knocking a bit of wind out of him. However, a recognizable groan forced everyone's mouth shut. All eyes slowly fell upon the sleeping German, watching him slowly begin to sit up. His hand reached up to grab his head, as if he had hit something. Ludwig quickly ran over, hoping that this was still his brother.

" _B-Bruder_...?" The teen's eyes flicked open, not expecting a voice let alone having it be so close. His eyes shot to the voice, turning his head slightly, just enough for Ludwig to see his eyes. However, they were not his brother's normal violet-red color. No. They were a shade of violet-blue. This wasn't Gilbert...

Gilbert blinked as fear clouded the young German's eyes. He slowly reached forward in a grabbing like motion. As if he wanted to grab onto Ludwig. Quickly, a body moved in between the two Germans, blocking his hand from reaching the young German. Gilbert's head slowly rose, coming eye to eye with Yao's amber brown ones. The Chinese man had his arms crossed and a glare on his face. Gilbert flinched back from the glare, causing the confusion among the group to grow.

"Who are you?" Yao's voice was sharp and straight to the point. However, instead of answering the question Gilbert quickly feel off the table and crawled underneath it, as if he was trying to hide. There was no cloth to cover the table to so one could clearly see him. His arms were raised up to his head, shielding himself, and we was shaking in fear. Who exactly is this...?

"Gilbert...?" Francis spoke up, moving towards the table. Upon hearing a different voice, Gilbert eyes glanced through his arms and looked directly at the French teen. Francis reached his hand under the table, causing the teen to stumble back and out from the table. Glancing around, he realized he was surrounded. There was person on every side of him. To him, it was like they were surrounding him to make sure he didn't get away. That they were going to hurt him. He quickly covered his eyes with his arms and began shaking yet again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I knew this wasn't a good idea! I told Gilbert but he wanted me too! _Es tut mir leid_!" His voice was different compared to their friend. His voice was soft, even as he yelled. His accented voice was a lot rougher compared to Gilbert's, making it a bit hard to understand what he was saying if he spoke quickly. It was like he had barely spoke any English before in his life to try and mellow down his accent. And that was probably the case, as he was 'trapped' inside Gilbert for years.

"Whoa, calm down." Antonio spoke softly, slowly moving towards the German. "It's okay, _sí_? No one here wants to, or is going to, hurt you." Gilbert slowly pulled his arms apart, just barely looking into bright green eyes if the Spaniard.

"R-Really...?"

" _Oui_." Francis spoke once more direction Gilbert's attention to him.

"O-Okay..." Gilbert's arms fell completely from his face, glancing around the room. Quickly, Gilbert came eye to eye with Yao once again. Relaxing his breathing he walked back over to the table, keeping his eyes connected with Yao. He had a question that was never answered. Gilbert slowly opening his mouth to speak. "I-I am..." The male paused, almost as if this was a new feeling for him. After taking a breath, he spoke again. "My name is still Gilbert, yet...not the one you know..."

"What did you do with the real Gilbert?" Arthur spoke up, stepping forwards. Gilbert turned his head towards the Englishman, forcing himself to stands still instead of taking a step back. He told he wasn't going to be hurt.

"He is...with me..." The albino's hand rose up to his chest, placing it over his heart.

"So which was it?" All attention turned towards Julius as he took steps forwards towards the German. "Did you force your way out and trap Gilbert? Did you trick him? What was it?"

"O-Oh no, sir!" Gilbert quickly waved his hands back and forth, trying to get his point across. "Your Gilbert allowed me to walk the real world." At that, everyone stood still. Gilbert let him...? "He says I have a _Bruder_. Is that true? D-Do I really have one...?" A light glow appeared in his eyes as if he had just received exactly what he always wanted. All eyes fell upon the small German who stood farther back from the rest of the group. Slowly, Gilbert's eyes fell upon Ludwig as he slowly walked forwards. Gilbert quickly walked around the table and fell to his knees to get a better look at the younger German. Ludwig was quickly to grow uncomfortable as Gilbert's hands roamed his face, as if it was his first time _feeling_ skin. His hands quickly fell to Ludwig's hands, gripping onto them. "You're name is Ludwig..." The teen gave a soft smile causing the said German to blink. "It is such a beautiful name."

" _D-Danke_...?" Ludwig wanted to pull away, but was afraid of how that would affect Gilbert's second soul. They way he acted, the way he talked, they way he moved. It was as if his life the most awful thing that could be imagined. Slowly, Gilbert stood, but kept his hands locked with Ludwig's. His eyes instantly noticed the entrance, causing his curiosity to grow. What did it look like out there...? He turned back to the two oldest males in the room and began speaking.

"Can I...?" Before Julius could throw away the idea, Helmut gave a quickly and blunt answer.

" _Ja_." While Gilbert's eyes lit up everyone's eyes widened.

"Helmut!" Julius turned towards the German man, eyes narrowed. "What are you thinking?!" His voice was quiet, only wanting a conversation to be heard between the two of them.

"Look at him. He could barely hurt a fly. He won't hurt anyone here. Let him roam around a bit." The two glanced over at the teen, watching him grab onto Ludwig's arm and drag him out of the tent to show him around.

"Well, how do we get him back? How do we get _our_ Gilbert back?"

"Ask." Helmut put it bluntly, causing Julius to blink. Was it really that simple...? And what if this Gilbert refused? Could their Gilbert force his way back? So many questions. Such little answers. After a long silence, Julius gave up. He turned to the children that remained in the tent, as they had no idea what do to. Should they follow Gilbert and Ludwig? Should they stay put? They didn't want to make the wrong choice and lose their friend.

"Follow them." All head turned towards the older Italian in confusion. "You may chat with Gilbert as much as you wish. However, make sure he doesn't hurt anyone." Quickly catching on some of the children nodded and ran out to follow. But, a couple stayed back. Just a couple. Deep down, they were scared. Scared for their friend.

"Will... Will Gilbert really be okay...?" Francis questioned, standing side by side with Antonio. The three of them bad been friends ever since they met one another in the awful place. They had each other if they were feeling down. They had made a pact to stay together for as long as they could. They were like a mini family. And that family was now threatened.

"He's not gone, right...?" Antonio softly questioned as well.

"Of course not! Our Gilbert will be okay!" Julius lowered himself to his knees as he quickly spoke. Without any sort of warning, the two teens wrapped their arms around the adult's neck, pulling him into a hug. Julius was taken back. Why were they hugging him? Slowly, however, he wrapped his arms around the both of them. Even though he wasn't their direct grandparent, he doesn't mind taking time to make sure they were reassured. After which, the two rushed out of the building to follow the group. Julius' eyes quickly grew with worry. He turned back to the German adult to see him just looking at him.

"He will be okay." Helmut tried to reassure the male.

"How do you know...? How can you be so certain?" Instead of receiving a quick answer, Helmut turned away from the Italian. Julius slowly rose to his feet, with confusion on his face. "Helmut...?" Turning his head back, the Italian was surprised to see a light look on his face. Seeing such a look upon the rough and stern German was scarce. With a single breath, Helmut spoke.

"Because that was how I was taught."

* * *

 **~Italian~ _  
Nonno-_ Grandfather**  
 ** _Por favore-_ Please**

 **~German~ _  
Warum-_ Why**  
 ** _Bruder_ -Brother**  
 ** _Dummkopf-_ Idiot/Stupid**  
 ** _Mein Bruder-_ My Brother**  
 ** _Bitte-_ Please**  
 ** _Und-_ And**  
 ** _Ja_ -Yes**  
 ** _Es tut mir leid-_ I'm sorry**  
 ** _Danke-_ Thank you**

 **~Spanish~**  
 ** _Sí-_ Yes**

 **~French~**  
 ** _Oui_ -Yes**

* * *

 **So! New chapter! It's been a bit since I posted the last chapter, so please forgive me for being slow with this stuff... However! I do have the next couple of the next chapters already pre-typed. All they needs is a read-through and editing and they'll be done! I think you all will enjoy them very much~  
Anyway~ If I have made any sort of spelling mistake, or grammar mistake, please inform me and I will fix it right away. As well as if you know any of the languages that I used and I made a translation mistake please message me and I will fix them as soon as possible! It means a lot! I am also thankful for all the followers, reviews, and favorites to this story. I'm glad you are all still enjoying this~ Happy reading~  
Big, _Big, BIG_ thank you to  Kathy2378 for correcting my German mistakes throughout the entirety of this story! They should all be fixed by the time this chapter is uploaded.**


	16. Chapter 16

"Fighting is a key point for being out in the field. What good are you if you go out there with no knowledge of ways to defend yourself _und_ the ones around you?" Over the years as he grew the German's thick accent had faded. It was there, proud and strong, but it was nowhere near as rough as it was when he was younger.

"You might be asking us, 'what about attacking the enemy?' First lesson you will always learn, no matter what, is defense. A good defense makes a good offense, right?" In the case for this male, his accent stood out more then before. The way he would drag some words out or use the same word repeatedly quickly caught on for this American. He slowly leaned towards the children in front of him before speaking with in a whisper tone. "But just to let ya' know, I prefer more of the attacking approach, then defense." In a quick motion from the German, he stood behind the American only to promptly whip his hand across his head, producing a slight thud. " _Dude_!" Some of the children even laughed at the 'show'. The American's hands shot up to grab his aching head. He glanced up, coming eye to eye with the German's narrowed ones. He cleared his through before turning back to the small group of young children.

"You may prefer an offensive approach, but that will not stop you from learning to be defensive. In the middle of a battle, you would rather save your energy and recharge than trying to constantly land hits. Protect yourself before dealing a blow." The American stood back up, already over the 'pain' he had received, with a smile on his lips.

"So! Self-defense will be taught first. After which, you will learn hand-to-hand combat. That way, you have a way to fight and protect yourself if you lose your weapon or don't have one currently on you. After you've the basics we'll direct you over to our weaponry. There, you will pick a weapon that you think will work best for you. That will be your main weapon." In a quick, whiplash motion, the American pulled out two weapons from the holsters that were secured around his upper body. He spun them around on his finger before grabbing and latching on to them. In his hands rested two silver pistols, both identical to the other. "My main is my pistols. I like to call them North and South." He smiled as some of the children's eyes widened an amazement. "In my other holster I have around my waist, I have a knife. I call it West. That's my backup weapon." He dropped the two guns so they pointed towards the ground before shoving them back into his holsters. before turning his body for the group to see the knife's location.

"Much the same, I hold a gun as my main weapon." He turned his body and directed the attention over to the side where his large rifle rested against some supplies. "As well as a large knife for when I'm forced into a close combat session." As soon as the tall male finished speaking a hand shot up in the air. The two glanced at each other, not really ready for questions. They weren't done yet. The American nodded, allowing the child to speak.

"Mr. Alfred and Mr. Ludwig, what if our other soul doesn't like the weapon we pick?"

"A-And what if they don't like to fight?" Another kid instantly spoke up causing all the children to whisper in agreement.

"If that's the case, then don't use them to fight." All eyes blinked upon hearing a feminine voice speak up. The group turned towards the origins of the sound only to land their eyes upon a long haired female as she stood up from her seat and walked over. She placed a hand upon her chest before she spoke. "My own second soul hates that I fight. But, I fight to make sure you're all safe. I want to help children like you. I was able to reason with her. She never fights, only doing so if she's desperate." Elizabeta gave a warm smile to the group, dropping her hand back down to her side. Her head slowly scanned over the crowd before continuing. "You won't have to worry about your second soul not liking the weapon you pick. It is very rare that your second soul will prefer a different weapon. In fact, they will actually try to _reason_ with you when you go to pick out a weapon. When picking one do not be alarmed when you hear a voice helping you decide. All it is, is your second soul trying to get through to you. Listen to them. They are another part of you. They are nothing to fear." She turned back to Ludwig and Alfred, shining them a smile before walking back and allowing them to continue.

This was their first class. Their first class to teach. After years of training on their own, years of extended teaching practice, years of pushing through mistakes, they were finally allowed to teach. For years they watched and observed their Hungarian friend do the same for every new group that wished to become a field agent. But, now that they had grown and they had aged, they had a chance to do it themselves.

The two males nodded and turned back to the children to continue.

"Now, any questions before we start?" Ludwig questioned, scanning his eyes across the small group. When no one raised a hand he nodded. " _Gut_. Now, come with us." Slowly, the children rose from the ground and followed the two into a different part of their training area, with Elizabeta right behind.

* * *

"Look at all of you! So _pequeño y precioso_ ~" The short, brown haired Spaniard spoke, adding in a bit of his own language into the mix.

"I can already tell you're going to be _wonderful_ cooks~" A smile grew upon the lighthearted Italian as he glanced over the small crowd of children. However, there weren't just two men in this area. No. There were three. So, when the third male didn't speak a word the two simultaneously nudged him with their elbows. His eyes shot open as he was rudely awaken from his dozing off daydream. He angerly eyed the two, only for his attention to be dragged down to the children in front of him. Right... He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Right. Um... Well..." As the third male looked at the group of children, he caught something. Something that was hard for the new children to produce. Yet, it was here. A light smile grew upon his face as his continued. "You want to know something? Take a look at where you all are. You're _out_. _You made it_. Still think life isn't worth living?" The children, and the other 2 males, stood with wide eyes. He was right... Compared to in those awful, white buildings, this camp was now thier home. Their new home where they're loved. Some of the children nodded, causing him to return a firm nod. When no sound came from his companions the man turned back to his friends. Upon seeing their wide faces, he blinked. " _Cosa_?" He questioned in his native tongue.

"Oh, _Lovi_ ~" Quickly, a pair of arms wrapped around the male's neck, pulling him into a close hug with his lookalike. The man growled, immediately trying to pull himself out of the man's tight grip.

" _Oi_! Let go of me!" Lovino was actually struggling to remove himself from the hug of his brother. He could be strong when he wanted to. He was only let free once Feliciano relaxed and _let_ him go. Turning towards his brother, he wasn't surprised to see a simply, pure smile upon his face. Lovino narrowed his eyes as his arms folded across his chest. Antonio simply chuckled before turning back to the children to continue.

"Now! Cooking isn't too hard. All you have to do is learn what goes together, and what doesn't. Almost imagine what you want to make. Once you have that picture, make it into reality." The Spaniard smiled, seeing all the hungry looks upon the children's faces. He turned his head towards the taller Italian, allowing him to continue.

"We won't start cooking right away. Most of you, if not all of you, probably haven't seen a real kitchen in _years_! We'll get you used to everything before we actually start." Feliciano turned on his heel to led the group farther into the building, the other males following behind to make sure no one gets left behind. The children haven't been here too long, so being able to let their imagination run on how things work and run around here allowed smiles to shine on their faces. This was like their mini heaven. A place to be free.

"Heads up!" Interrupting the children's daydreams, a loud shout ran throughout the room. All heads turned towards the commotion to witness a stack of boxes come crashing down to the ground. Lids were popped open and all their contents spilled to the floor. Fruits, vegetables, bread, cooking supplies. All of it. Now all over the floor.

"Gilbert!" An angry blond haired man marched into the room, his English accent pushing as his anger showed. In the means of walking towards the fallen boxes, he was leaving behind a group of children to stand and watch.

"Calm down, Arthur. It's no big deal. It was just an accident." The albino shrugged, bending down to begin picking up the mess _he_ made. However, Arthur wasn't satisfied. He wasn't satisfied one bit.

"What if you hurt someone? What then?"

"But, no one _got_ hurt. I was just having a little bit of fun. The _Kinds_ liked it..." Gilbert mumbled to himself as he refused to meet the Englishman's glare. Arthur opened his mouth to continue the argument, however their discussion was cut short as a separate voice spoke up.

"Guys! No fighting!" A new voice wined. His accent was rather new to some ears, as the Danish accent wasn't common in the camp. The two looked over to see two blond haired men and a silvered hair tee. All stood by the children. The two men froze. Those there their supervisors...

"Now the lesson is going to have to wait until you both clean up." This man's accent was just as rare, being from the Scandinavian area of Sweden. His voice was soft a quiet, some had to strain to here him clearly.

" _What_?!" Arthur's eyes widened. "Both if us?! Gilbert was the one to knock them over!" He tried to plead with the group of three, hoping to persuade him into not cleaning up someone else's mess.

"But both of you are arguing instead of fixing the problem." The silvered haired teen spoke, arguing with the Englishman. His had to be one of the rarest accents throughout the camp. From a small, northern island, this Icelandic teen arrived at the camp at an earlier data then Gilbert and Arthur's group. He may be younger than the 2, however, he was older in both experience and rank.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Arthur whispered to himself in anger. All three held the same agreement. He had to clean up his 'partner's' mess. He rolled his eyes before falling to his knees to get on the same level at the German, knowing he wasn't going to change the verdict. Slowly, the two worked on cleaning up the mess.

* * *

Compared to the last groups, things were _actually_ running very smooth over at the medic tent. A group of just two men were at the head of the group, talking and explaining to the children what was to be done around as a medic. In the back, two more stood, watching and making sure everything was running as smooth as it is now. Once the children got used to the environment around them, they were _very_ eager to learn how to aid the injured.

"For the most part you all will be dealing with little problems. Once you get older you will get to help in the _serious_ cases." The man's French accent was... difficult to notice, but it was still there. Just like the German, his accent was proud and strong, no matter how much it had faded over the years. The children nodded, a bit disappointed they couldn't get into anything exciting for a while. He gave them a light smile, trying to keep the smiles on their faces.

"Things like cuts and headaches are surprisingly common around here. And that is what you will practice with for your first couple of months working here, _aru_." The Chinese man's accent voice spoke, a light smile upon his face as well. The children nodded, already eager to start.

"Why don't the two of you go show them where all the bandages and such are." A new voice spoke from the crowd. All heads turned to the back and over to the a brown haired male. By his side was a blond haired male. One from Lithuania and the other from Poland.

"Not a problem, Toris." Francis spoke up with a nod. His head feel to the children before continuing. "Follow us." The French man waved lightly, dragging the children along as he walked side by side with Yao, leading the group across the tent. However, the two Europeans stood back, watching the once teenagers now leading the group. A smile grew upon Toris' face as he watched.

"They grew up so fast, huh...?" He spoke softly.

"Totally." Felix nodded, a light smile upon his own face.

* * *

"Good job today, guys. Take a break and grab some food. I heard today's meal is supposed to be _csodás~_ " Elizabeta gave a quick wink towards the 3 cooks who sat with their group members. Heads turned towards the 3, watching as both Feliciano's and Lovino's cheeks grew bright red. Antonio's blush was faint, but he was more happy than embarrassed, shown off with his smile. However, all three were proud of their work. The Hungarian chuckled before continuing. "As far as I know, you all should have free time to do what you wish before heading off to bed for the rest of the day." She smiled before turning around and beginning her walk back to her post. However, before she could make it out of the tent, she was stopped by Francis' voice.

"Elizabeta, _Merci_." The Hungarian blinked, turning her head back to the group in surprise. All available eyes were on her, catching her by surprise.

"You're thanking me...? Why...?"

"Years ago you saved us. How can we not thank you?" Arthur gave a simple smiled as he spoke first. However, he was quickly followed up.

"I wasn't even in there that long and that place was _crap_!" Alfred shouted, shooting up from his seat. Elizabeta blinked, not really understanding why she was being thanked.

"That's just my job. There's no reason you should be thanking _me_. A lot of people in the camp helped out just as much as _I_."

"You were the one to walk with us. Help us back to camp. Help us in our time of need whenever we needed." Yao smiled as his body relaxed, remembering all the weight that was pilled up on his shoulders. Remembering how after that night, it was gone. Remembering how good it felt. He couldn't remember the exact contents of the weight, but he remembered the struggles he had that night.

"So, let us thank you. _Bitte._ " Ludwig gave a light smile, one that was rare against his face. Elizabeta could feel her face heating up. She had never really been thanked before... She was just doing her job, like everyone else around here.

" _Köszi_..." She spoke softly, just barely reaching their ears. The group all gave her smiles before finally letting her walk away. The group slowly turned to face one another, all with smiles upon their faces.

"I guess our lives didn't turn out the way we first thought, did it?" Antonio questioned quietly, dragging everyone's attention back together.

" _Shì_." Yao nodded.

"I'm starving! Lets go grab some of that food!" Gilbert quickly shot up, dragging all eyes upon him. There was a collective nod between the group before they stood up to go grab their own plates of food. And, just as Elizabeta had stated, the food looked, smelled, and tasted _delicious_. The best thing they had tasted in a while. Praise was give _constantly_ to the Spaniard and the Italian bothers. They were rather, uncomfortable by the amount of attention they were receiving, however they slowly got used to the praise. If they were going to be cooking from now on, this would happen often.

While they ate, the group talk. It's been awhile since they last saw one another. From unaligned schedules, to training, to the new income of children. It's been a couple months since they've all been in the same place, at the same time, with the freedom to talk to one another. Their talking topics ranged from their new jobs to all the friendly children they've met. Everything was _great_. From being stuck in a building with no way to escape and treated like _shit_ to being broken out and led into what seemed like _paradise_ that was happy to stay back and help the slow and broken. They were _amazed_. They were _surprised_. They were _happy_. Everything seemed _perfect_.

"Alfred!~" The American was quick to pick out his name from the group's current conversation. He glanced up, knowing it didn't belong to anyone in his group, to see the South Korean member entering the tent. In his hand, was a brown box. It wasn't small, yet it wasn't large. Just big enough to hold everything it needed. The box looked to be taped up quite a bit, even along parts that didn't need to be taped up. Rising from the table, Alfred slipped around the table and walked over to meet up halfway with the man.

"Hey, _Yong Soo_. Whatcha' got there?" He questioned, cocking his head slightly to the side. The Korean glanced down at the box and shrugged.

"Don't know. In camp, we have a mailbox. Since we get our supplies from an outside sources we have them drop off letter and such to the families of those who still care, just in case you wanted to write one or something. On the flip side though, they can send us boxes and letters to give to their children. It's not too common, but there are still some families that care. So... Here." Yong Soo handed Alfred the box, allowing him to grab it so it wouldn't fall. It took him a minute, but he finally understood what he meant. And when he did, his eyes widened.

"You mean... This is from my mom and dad?!" Alfred didn't even try to keep his shouts down. How could he? This was from his _parents_! His shout caused the conversation amongst the rest of his group to quiet down and listen in.

"If that's your address, then _ne._ " Yong Soo pointed to the address written along a white strip at the top of the package. Alfred was quick to hug the Korean before turning and walking back over to the group. Yong Soo simply smiled before leaving. He still had a job to do.

Alfred didn't look up from the box as he made his way back over to the table. He turned around it, however, and made his way back over to his empty seat. This box... Was this really from his parents...? His eyes trailed from his name to the address, trying to read it. However, he could not recognize it. He was taught how to read and write here, so that wasn't the problem. It was the fact that he couldn't even remember his own address... It's just been so long... Slowly, he set the box down on the table, allowing all heads at the table to finally look.

"What is is?" Francis questioned. Alfred's hands trailed over the box before stopping at the tape that sealed the box shut.

"It's a package..."

"No shit." Romano growled. "He means, who sent the damn thing?" Alfred slowly reached over, grabbing the plastic knife that came with their food. In a quick motion, he jabbed it into the tape and dragged it along the rest, opening it up.

"My parents..." Alfred spoke softly resting the knife back on the table. Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing what the American said.

"What?!" Arthur spoke up.

" _Tuo madre e padre_?!" Feliciano also commented, forgetting English for a moment and speaking in his native language.

"How?" Ludwig questioned. Alfred shrugged and placed his hands on the box. Slowly moving his grip to the flaps on the box, the American slowly pulled the package open. On top was an envelope with the words ' _Mom and Dad_ ' written on the cover. Slowly pulling it out, Alfred carefully opened it up to see what was inside. It was decently heavy, making him wonder what was exactly in the envelope. Reaching in, the first thing he grabbed was a folded sheet of paper. Unfolding the paper, it was none other than a note. From his parents to him. Slowly, he began reading what was written. He couldn't even read the first couple of sentences without beginning to break down. He didn't care that he had a group around him. He wasn't going to be able to stop his emotions. The group around him softened, just thinking about what might be written to get him to break down. He could barely see, but managed to read the entire sheet. Once he was finished Alfred held it close to his body, just wanting to see his parents again.

After a little, he set the paper down onto the table before glancing into the envelope to see what else was inside. To his surprise, they were pictures. He couldn't believe it. He quickly pulled the small, thin stack out, dropping the empty envelope next to the letter. Arthur reached over and proceeded to place the letter away, making sure it didn't get dirtied.

Alfred slowly flipped through the pictures, tears returning to his eyes once more. There were so many pictures. So many memories. Why did he have to leave...? Why did he have to be taken...? However, the last picture got him. It got him good. It was a single picture. A picture of his parents. What they looked now. They've grown. They've aged. It's hadn't even been 10 years, yet they look so old... It's been so long... Slowly, he set the stack on the table, allowing everyone to see as they passed them around. Turning back to the box Alfred's attention fell to the actual content of the box. Slowly he reached in and grabbed the item. It felt... familiar. He pulled the item out, having it fall open and reveal a jacket. The group blinked in confusion, but, to Alfred, it was _much_ more.

"No way..." He spoke softly as his eyes scanned the jacket. Quickly he threw it on, letting it rest upon his upper body. His body relaxed, feeling young again. He looked down at it, noticing how it rested on him like any normal jacket would. He had grown... "Ha... It not longer runs past my hands..." Alfred rose his arms, letting the group see that the sleeves did, in fact, rest how a normal jacket would on somebody.

"What is it, _aru_?" Yao asked curiously. Instantly, a smile grew on the American's face.

"This is my dad's bomber jacket! He was in the military for a little bit. When he was in the Air Force they gave him this jacket. I would always wear it around the house when I was younger. I wanted to grow up and serve just like him. Man... I loved this thing so much... It smells just like home..." Alfred held a soft smile on his face as his eyes never left the brown jacket.

"What else is in the box?" Gilbert questioned as he peered into the box. Alfred blinked and walked back over. He tilted the box to see a crumbled piece of newspaper and another note. Getting greedy he reached right for the newspaper. Finding that it was wrapping something, he carefully pealed it away. He dropped the paper revealing a pair of goggles. Alfred blinked in confusion.

"What is it?" Antonio questioned, causing Alfred to simply shrug.

"I don't know.. I don't remember these at all..." Alfred turned them in his hand, trying to remember.

"Well, there _is_ another note." Arthur tilted the box to peer into it. Turning back to the box Alfred reached in to pull the letter out. He opened it and unfolded the paper only to blink. The writing wasn't in English. Far from it. However, the name at the top was recognizable. Williams. The Williams family. Who had the last name William? Looking back down at the goggles Alfred blinked. Wait... He knew someone with the last name Williams... When he was young. They used to play together all the time. Wavy blond hair... bright purple eyes... Instantly, Alfred's eyes widened.

"Matthew!" He spoke. "It's Matthew! H-He's still back in that building!" Alfred began freaking out. Arthur shot up to try and calm him down.

"Whoa! Calm down! Who's Matthew?" Arthur questioned quickly. Alfred quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and shook began shaking him slightly.

"You gotta remember! W-We arrived at the same time. He was really quiet a-and he had that weird curl thingy in front of his face!" All faces stared at Alfred in confusion. The American was utterly dumbfounded. How could they forget? Forget his brother...? To be fair... he forgot about him up until now... But, why wasn't anyone else remembering?

Alfred quickly opened his mouth to speak again, however he was interrupted by the sound of a loud bell ringing throughout the camp. It took the group a second before realizing what that meant. All heads shot towards the entrance. There was a barely audible voice that echoed throughout the camp, just barely making it to their ears.

"All primary, secondary, and tertiary field agents report!" The group's eyes widened in sync. They all knew what that meant. They had heard it countless times while they were growing up here. All the members sitting at this table fell into one of those 3 groups spoken out loud. Finally. They were finally going out! They had all previously agreed on, like a family, that they're first mission would be together. No matter what.

Quickly, Alfred threw the goggles onto his head, stuffed the newspaper and the two notes into his pant pockets. The group filled out the opening, leaving their almost completely eaten food behind.

This camp worked together as a community. An active community. Everyone helped out in some why or another. There were 4 main sections the children get to pick from. Field Agents, Food Management, Medical Care, and Storage. Once old enough children can pick which group they wished to work in. That was their main. They were called on first. However, they would place the other three in a list to be called upon if someone was not available to work in another location. While Alfred and Ludwig were the Primary Field Agents, everyone else in their group was either a secondary or a tertiary Field Agent. Their main job was one of the other 3. Secondary and tertiary agents were rarely called upon, only called if the job seemed too difficult with what they had or needed spaces to be filled. If three levels were being called in, instantly, then this mission must be strong.

People from all over the camp came running into the center building. Other members of the forth lineup stayed back to watch the children that were too young to go out. Some family _actually_ live here together, a family of dark auras. So, watching a family member go out, it was like they were saying goodbye as he went off to war. And sometimes, that's what it felt like. There was a chance that the camp members rushing in, wouldn't be returning. There was always that chance. That's why the ones that go out decide that they _want_ to risk their lives.

When the group entered the building they could recognize multiple faces in the sea of people, seeing and meeting them as they grew up here. In the crowd some faces looked frightened while some looked ready to go. It was just a matter of if this was their first go. However, this group didn't really follow that stereotype. Most members were ready to go. Ready to fight. Ready for whatever they were thrown towards. But, there were some that were frightened. Some showed it, others kept it inside.

All attention was turned towards the front of the gathering as the sound of a clearing throat caught their ears. Julius and Helmut stood at the front of the gathering. Once everything quieted down, the Italian began.

"Here's the basis." Julius spoke first. "Buildings Alpha and Beta have been obtaining more kids since our last rescue back in xx10 and in xx12. Lilli has been keeping tally since then, and the total is _far_ beyond anything we've ever had to rescue before. Leon has also managed to grab a hold on some interesting information. He is currently downloading things as we speak."

Lilli and Leon were two undercover agents that worked at the Beta and Alpha building respectfully. For years they worked on helping the camp rescue children and give them information on what was being planned. It was hard to sneak in and actually begin working, but once they did, it was smooth sailing. A steady flow of information that gave them an upper hand. However, they recently requested to be pulled out as the situation was drastically changing.

"We called everyone here because this will be our _largest_ rescue yet. It's estimated that, when counted together, we might pull out with a thousand or so children." The large crowd went silent. A _thousand_? A thousand children? Could they really support that many new children? At this rate, this camp will fill up quicker than they had ever imagined.

"That is because we are attacking both the Alpha building and the Beta building at the same time." Helmut spoke up, dragging all attention over to him. "If we were to attack one at a time, then the other will lock down, preventing us from a rescue. That is why we need as many of you as possible."

"Correct. However, those who wished to leave now, may." The crowd blinked in confusion. "This is a rough mission, one that executed properly will kill. There is no shame in leaving." Julius softly spoke. The room fell silent.

One by one, people began filing out of the building. One by one, they were drained. Some left for personal reasons while others simply wished to live another day. Every rescue from Alpha and Beta was always costly. Like Julius said, one wrong move could mean death for you or the rest of the group. Men were lost. Children were lost. Ones that came back were badly hurt. Damaged enough to stay in the medic tent for weeks. No rescue mission was clean but, Alpha and Beta attackers were awful.

Soon, only about a forth of the previously large group remained. It was quite a few to say the least but it was significantly less then what was present previously. Julius and Helmut scanned over the remaining members seeing familiar faces as well as new faces to these types of missions. What actually took the two by surprise was seeing the entirety of the once young and small group of 9. They all stood together, determination shining bright on their faces. Well... most of them. The two adults met eye to eye before getting back to work.

"Right, you are all that remains. Which, is fine. We have plenty for this trip." Julius paused as he pulled a map and laid it upon the table. The remaining agents moved around the table, wanting to see exactly what Julius had planned out. "We want more experienced members taking on Alpha, as it _is_ more dangerous. The newer ones, or ones with less experience, will be taking on Beta. Of course, we will be mixing it up a bit so that no matter what group, experienced agents can help guild the newer ones." The field agents nodded, most instantly splitting into 2 groups. One for Beta and one for Alpha.

The two adults glanced at each other before taking separate groups. Julius to Alpha and Helmut to Beta. He lead the Beta group over to a separate table and rolled out his own map. Beta members gathered around his table to building looked huge. How were they supposed to get all those kids out?

"This is the building." Helmut began, his prominent German accent stick out more than it had previously. "The children rest here." He circled a small area with his finger. Some of the people in the group sighed in relief. Thank god it wasn't the _whole_ building. "Our entry point will be here. Lilli will open the door so we can get in. The security on that door and in the surrounding hallways will be down for 10 minutes before the computers detect a problem and began to sound the alarm. We have 10 minutes to get to the sleeping rooms, get all the children out and rush out."

"10 minutes? That's like, nothing!" Alfred's voice spoke up, causing some of the newer members to mutter in agreement.

"10 minutes is the time frame for all our rescue mission. That means we got _you_ out in 10." Helmut harshly explained, not liking the interuption. The Beta group turned back to their leader in awe. 10 minutes... 10 _minutes_ to get hundreds of children out... When no one else spoke up, Helmut nodded and continued.

"Since Lilli is placed in the Beta building she will met up with us 9 minutes in. Just like Leon, she has information that has been collecting for years. She'll meet up with us before we have to leave and then we'll head back home." Little rocks and pebbles were brought upon the map. Helmut began to set them up in places he saw fit. "A small group will reside outside, watching the door. It cannot, and I repeat, _cannot_ be shut. Or everyone will be trapped inside. Another group will be the rescue group. They'll run in to the children and get them out of there. We'll have a support group stand guard and be look out inside the building. Watching around corners and such for danger. We shouldn't have any as guards have a set rotation schedule. That hallway should be cleared for your 10 minutes. If not, the support group will fight them off. That clear?"

Everyone quickly nodded.

"Good. I wasn't going to explain it again anyway. Now." Helmut looked at the group, eyeing who was there. Who would be best in what group. "Jett and Toby, you two will be pairing up with Gilbert's group. You guys will be on the outside. To the remaining... I want this half to be rescue and this half to be support." Helmut motioned to an imaginary line that split the other members. All heads nodded and got into their separate groups to discuss.

"Nice to meetcha'." A voice spoke. All eyes in the small group turned to see two males. They must be the ones they're working with. The male that spoke had a stringed hat that currently hung from his neck. He reaching a hand out to shake. "The name's Jett. This here is my little brother, Toby." His free arm wrapped around the slightly smaller male that stood next to him. The sides of his hair seemed to curl into what looked like ram horns. It was a rather... odd hair choice. Back to Jett, his accent was new to the group. It was... a very rough English and American accent. Maybe...

"We're actually cousins." Toby softly spoke. "But because we basically grew up together, here and at home, we've grown like brothers." A smile was drawn upon his face. Toby's accent was new, as well. It was very similar to Jett's, however it wasn't. They must ave been from places close by. I mean, they did kinda grow up together, they said.

Standing towards the back of the group, Alfred lowered his head, reaching up to place his hand on the glasses he placed on his head. Jett and Toby... They reminded him of himself and Matthew... How could he have forgotten? They were like brothers. Just like Jett and Toby. So... Why did he forgot him so easily...?

Arthur took a step forwards, hand extended to meet with Jett's.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you. My name is Arthur and these are my friends." Arthur ushered behind him. Jett nodded, shaking hands. After a quick round of introductions to who was who, Ludwig spoke up.

"You said the two of you grew up here, just like everyone else. So, how is it that we have never seen either of you around?"

"We major in the field. We're one of the first people to get called for a rescue mission." Jett explained. "However, we also double as scouts. When we're not rescuing we're scouting the land and going into 'nearby' towns to meet up with our suppliers."

"So, we're not really around the camp too often." Toby spoke up after Jett had finished.

"I see." Ludwig spoke, taking a step back now that he got his question out.

"Now." Jett smiled, meeting eye to eye with the members of his group. "Let's talk about the positions and plans."

* * *

 **~German~  
 _Und_ -And  
 _Gut_ -Good  
 _Kinds_ -Kids  
 _Bitte-_ Please  
**

 **~Spanish~  
 _Pequeño y precioso-_ small and precious  
**

 **~Italian~  
 _Cosa-_ What  
 _Tuo madre e padre-_ Your mother and father  
**

 **~French~  
 _Merci_ -Thank you**

 **~Hungarian~  
 _Csodás-Wonderful_  
 _Köszi-_ Thank you  
**

 **~Chinese~  
 _Shì-_ Yes/Yeah  
**

 **~Korean~  
 _Ne_ -Yes**

* * *

 **Another chapter locked and loaded! I think is my longest chapter written, too! Which, is really cool! Almost 6,700 words! I know that is a lot to read, but I'm really proud of this chapter! It turned out really good!  
Anywho, I jumped a head a couple years as I felt like I needed to move on with the story. We can't dwindle too much on their younger years. They can't really do much when they're young. So, by jumping ahead a bit we can actually get some action back into this story~ Sorry if you really liked their younger years. Jumping ahead just seemed like the better option.  
I added some new characters, as you can see. They should be obvious, I tried to make it that way so no one would get confused.  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter~ Thank you for following and adding this story to your favorites~ It makes a lot! Reviews are always appreciated, of course~  
If I've made any grammar/spelling mistakes, or if you speak a language that was used and I have made a translation mistake, please inform me and I will fix it as soon as possible.  
Until next chapter, Happy Reading~**


	17. Chapter 17

Heading out in the dim light of dawn so they would make it with the cover of the night on their side the next day, the smaller Beta group ran with their counter Alpha group to their destination. The two buildings were close by, only about a mile apart. So, they ran together for protection, only splitting part in the dark of night to go their separate ways as the tops of the buildings began to appear over the horizon.

The Beta group quickly closed in, splitting off into their separate groups to get ready. The support group was first. Once the light on the outside camera went off, they began. Pulling opening the thick, heavy door, they filed in and quickly got into their positions. They lined the walls, some sliding around corners to get a better look. Once they cleared the area they sent out a quickly signal to the rescue group. In their own small groups they rushed in and over to the large doors lining the wall. Banding on the doors, one by one, they all swung open. They were then able to quickly rush in and grab the children. The outside group watched in awe. However, this was taking a long time for the rescue group. Tension began building up in the back of many's throats. All in fear that they wouldn't make it in time. 10 minutes was fast, especially if that 10 minutes were filled and timed.

Quickly, the rescue group got the children out if the rooms, carrying the young ones that looked too young to be there. Like, 2 and 3 year olds. There were never anyone that young in the group's building. Why were these ones so young? Quickly, the children filed out, following their separate group leaders as they all branched away from each other and went in separate directions. That way, if one were to be attack they wouldn't loose everyone. After the rescue group was all out the support team slowly walked out, one by one. Just in case. Then, everyone was out. With a couple minutes to spare.

Toby stood up, grabbing onto the door and began shutting it. However, Ludwig stepped up and grabbed the door, causing everyone to blink.

"Where's Lilli?" The German spoke. Jett's eyes widened. Quickly, he glanced behind him as the groups ran off. He couldn't see easily, but he was certain Lilli wasn't out there.

"Fuck..." Jett whispered as he turned back to the building. So, the group waited. Waited for as long as they could. It could only be a couple of minutes. That's all they _had_.

"Are you sure she didn't walk out with the rest?" Francis questioned, being the first one to speak in the last couple of minutes.

"I don't know. All I know is that no one came from a hallway." Ludwig explained. keeping his eyes on the hallways.

"That means she's still in here." Toby spoke up.

"We have to close the door." Jett explained, going to rise.

"Are you kidding me?!" Arthur raised his voice, grabbing onto Jett and pulling him back down. "We can't just _leave_ her in there!" Jett looked back at the group. concern all over their faces. Without warning, something swiftly shot past the group and rushed into the building. It took the group a minute to realize and respond, but once they _did_ realize who exactly had jumped in, anger and fear clouded the group.

"Alfred!" Feliciano called out, not trying to keep his voice down. His brother quickly added on.

"Don't go in! _Idiota_!" Lovino growled as he shouted. However, Alfred ignored the two's shouts and ran further into the building. He turned on his heal before disappearing around the corner. Without any sort of a warning, the door's hings swung it shut. Accompanying the loud slam was a quick locking sound. Standing in front of the door was none other than Jett. The group began to freak.

"What are you doing?!" Antonio eyes widened as he spoke.

"You're going to _kill_ them! Both Alfred _and_ Lilli!" Gilbert yelled.

"We just _don't_ have enough time!" Jett tried to explain, however no one would listen to his reasons.

"He's a part of our _group_!" Arthur shot up as he yelled. "We're supposed to be _together_!" A pair of hands shot up to the Englishman's collar, gripping onto the cloth and pulling him down to come eye to eye with none other than Toby. Instead of his normal, happier expression, his eyes were narrowed and his mouth was curled into a frown. Arthur was taken back.

"Listen to me." He growled. "Out here, we work on a policy. _For the greater good_. If we were to keep that door open, do you know what would happen? The alarms will go off. That means guards will come running. They will chase after us, potentially killing those kids as we make it back to camp." Toby's accent was very heavy as he spoke out of anger. It showed off his strong New Zealand origins. "And if they don't, they would follow us back to camp. All those children we just rescued? Recaptured. Those family's torn apart and everything we worked for would be gone. The young ones recaptured, the older ones like us, killed. Do you understand?" While the man only yelled at the Englishman, _everyone_ stood in silence. As they thought about what he said the more and more they thought he was right. 2 lives in exchange for hundreds. It was the better deal, right?

Toby's grip slowly relaxed and released from Arthur's collar as his built up anger began to dissipate. Jett walked over to his 'brother', helping him relax and calm down.

"For the greater good, mate. If Alfred comes back, we can count ourselves luck. If both make it back, we should go on another rescue mission. With all that luck, we could conquer a nation." He explained, trying to make light of the situation at hand. Deep down... Deep down the two knew that the American wouldn't make it. He was going into a suicide mission, trying to find Lilli. It was like a maze in there. He was more likely to get lost and shot than find Lilli.

"Greater good... A-Alright..." Arthur shakily sighed, giving up on fighting back. The rest of the group followed along and didn't continue to argue.

"Ah... _amigos_... we have another problem..." Antonio spoke up, pulling all eyes over to him.

"What do you _mean_ another _fucking problem_?" Lovino angery questioned. Antonio's eyes scanned the group, counting once more.

" _Nueve_. There's only nine of us..." Ludwig quickly shot up and did a quick head count. The closer he got to the end of counting the more fear that built up on his shoulders. Nine. There was only nine. Seven in their group, nine when adding Toby and Jett. They had left the camp with 11, but now they were down two. They knew Alfred was gone but... who else was missing...?

"Yao..." The Frenchman spoke that single name. That name rang through each member's ears. Anger and fear built up once more

"Yao...?" Feliciano quietly questioned.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Ludwig spoke, frustration in his voice.

"You all just love to take risks." Jett spoke turning back to he group. Arthur looked at him with narrowed eyes, fires of anger in his eyes. When he spoke, he growled.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Alfred ran down the long hall, turning left and right when he felt necessary. When Helmut had brought up the map, he studied it. Why should he listen to the man if his group was going to stay on the outside? So, Alfred tried his best to quickly and accurately memorize the paper. He wasn't just going to leave Lilli in here! What kind of man is he if he did that!? Not a good one, that's for sure. The American was pulled from his thoughts when the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. His body froze, trying not to be detected. Did they belong to the feet of a guard or of Lilli's? They sounded rushed but, that could mean anything. Down the dark hall he began to make out a figure. It wasn't a guard. It was a girl. A smaller girl. She has to be shorter then him, but not too short. Maybe about a foot or so lower. She wore a dulled red dress that reaches just passed her knees. In her arms were what looked like files and papers. Was that...?

"L-Lilli?" The girl's head seemed to pop up at the name. Just now noticing the male, her eyes widened. She glanced behind her only to pick up her pace to meet up with him.

"You're not a guard?" Her accented voice was quiet, yet rough. It sounded similar to that of Ludwig's or Gilbert's, yet it wasn't their accent.

"Of course not!" Alfred happily explained. "We're here to bring you back home." His smile and friendly voice relaxed the small girl. No one here could even _fake_ something like that. He was from the outside.

"Good." She glanced over her shoulder once again, with a nervous emotion in her eyes."My watcher is probably looking for me right now. I've been on 'break' longer than I was given." Lilli quickly passed the American, grabbing his hand to pull him along. "Quickly. We must escape." Alfred was taken back by her strong pull. However, he quickly fixed himself and ran along side her. She wasn't that fast of a runner. Alfred had to slow his paced down a little to make sure she was protected.

The two had only been running for a couple minutes when they heard approaching footsteps. They came to a halt, Alfred placing his hand on his gun's handle if need be. They watches as someone spun around the corner and bolted down the hall they were in. However, he came to a screeching halt upon realizing the two standing there. Both party's eyes quickly widened. While Alfred's eyes widened in surprise, Lilli's was in fear.

"Y-Yao?!" Alfred quickly questioned. When the man seemed to relax and quickly step up to them Lilli shoulders fell. It wasn't who she thought it was. If it was... they would be dead in an instant. Yao was quick to approach the two. The smile on the American's face was quick to fall as a hand collided with his face, producing a rough, solid making sound. The goggles atop his head almost slid off, it was that powerful. Alfred quickly grabbed onto that side of his face in pain.

"What the _fuck_ man?!" He shouted in pain.

"You _idiot_! You _stupid_!" Yao yelled back. "Do you know how stupid you are!? What if you _died_!" Alfred blinked, but fought back.

"I just went in to grab Lilli! I wasn't going to just leave her in here!"

"You are _not_ prepared for this! _We_ are not prepared for this! That's exactly why we were paired with Jett and Toby!"

"What do you mean? Are you...?" Lilli quickly interrupted. If what she was thinking was what Yao was saying then... The Chinese man turned to face the younger female.

"We're the outside support. We keep the door open so the others can escape." Quickly, his voice trailed into anger as he continued. "We're not supposed to be _inside_ the building!" Yao narrowed his eyes as he turned back to Alfred.

"Time was running out!"

"Time _is_ out!" Quickly the group of three fell quiet. There wasn't anymore yelling or shouting. No. There was only heavy breathing and wide eyes.

"You don't mean..." Lilli spoke softly, taking a small step back. Yao took a deep breath, trying to relax his temper. Slowly, he nodded.

"Jett shut the door. I managed to slide in before he could close it."

"You have got to be kidding me..." Alfred sighed in anger. He pulled the goggles down so he could comb his fallen bangs back. He was agitated and was trying to calm down. He was admitting that none of this would be happening if he didn't rush in, but Lilli. She looked like she couldn't hurt a fly! How was she supposed to escape? She wouldn't. She would have been recaptured and probably killed for trying to escape.

Before another word could be spoke, however, the sound of rushing footsteps echoed down the hall. All three's eyes widened.

"They found out..." Lilli quickly glanced around before eyeing one of the hallways. "Follow me, I think there's an exit we can use." The two males nodded and rushed after the girl as she ran down one of the halls. Alfred pulled the goggles back upon his heads so he wouldn't be hit with them as he ran.

Lilli wasn't as fast as the two, especially because they trained probably three times as much as she ever had. But, she wasn't slow to be far behind the pact. They actually rather he be a bit behind so she could directed them around the building without having to expect to make a sharp turn so suddenly. She seemed to have a map resting in the front of her brain as he directed them left an right, trying to hopefully avoid contact with the guards as much as possible.

It didn't take too long for the group of three to reach their destination. A lonely door rested at the end of the hall. It looked like the rest of the doors that lined the walls, however, it was different from the rest.

"Open the door!" Lilli exclaimed, pulling the breath out of her. The two turned back to look at her in confusion. "Th-This one is broken! It will be hard to open, but n-no alarms will go off!" Alfred quickly nodded and rushed a head as if a burst of energy shot into his legs. He slamming into the door as he turned the handle, trying to budge it open. And, Lilli was right. The door seemed almost as if it was rusted shut. The hinges barely moved, even when he ran at it. He shoved against it with his body, as hard as he could. Over and over he did this, just barely cracking it open. However, it was a large enough crack to work with. Being the biggest in the group, if it could fit him, it could fit the other two.

"Yao, you first. Lilli, you'll go next." Alfred quickly explained, pulling a nod from the two of them. "I'll go last to keep the guards off of us if they manage to catch up." Yao quickly slid through the door with ease. Once on the other side he proceeded to help the female through. He grabbed the stack of papers and held onto them as she slid through. Once the two were out, Alfred quickly pushed his way out, just barely fitting. Once he was out he turned and begin trying to push the door shut. Realizing he was struggling Yao quickly rushed over, shoving his body against the door. Slowly the two shoved the door shut. Just in time to. The sound of rushing footsteps could barely be heard behind the door.

The two quickly held their back against the door, out of breath. While Alfred stood to catch his breath, Yao sliding to the ground below to relax his legs as well. His face was bright red. He was sweating. He had stray hairs that had escaped his ponytail. He was a mess. Lilli bent down to fixing her papers. She didn't want any of them to fall away as she rested.

The group grew confused upon hearing a light laughter. Glancing down towards the sound, they found that it belonged to none other than Yao. Alfred was taken back, never hearing the Chinese man laugh before. As his laugh grew louder and louder, it sound like it was on the edge of hysteria. However, it was hard not to laugh along. Slowly, Alfred begin to chuckle as well. Which quickly turned obnoxious.

"I-I could have _died_!" Yao managed to get out through his laughs. Slowly, Lilli began to grow giggly herself. It wasn't as loud or as obnoxious like the boys, but it was a laugh. As they laughed, their's guard dropped. And it dropped quickly. They failed to realize that they were still at the building. Failed to realize that they were still in danger.

Without warning, Lilli was forced against a body, a strong arm around her neck. As if it could, and _would_ crush her in seconds. That rough tug pulled a soft scream from her throat. However, it _was_ loud enough to pull the two male's attention over. The two instantly froze upon seeing what had happened. There a man stood, Lilli pulled into his body and a single arm to keep her in place. She tried to squirm her way out, but the man tightened his grip.

"Don't struggle. You'll drop all those _important_ papers." He mocked her. His voice was rugged. It sounded American, yet wasn't... It was off... Lilli was quick to recognize that voice, and it brought terror into her eyes. He had found her... Now they were all going to die...

However, Alfred and Yao weren't fazed by the man like Lilli was. The two of them quickly pushed their bodies into a battle ready position. Noticing the motion out of the corner of his eyes the man's eyes rose from Lilli and fell upon the two males. His violet eyes dull as they pierced through the both of them.

" _Really_? Is _this_ the best you got?" The man slowly fell into a chuckle, almost like he was _mocking_ them. "You have _got_ to be kidding me, _r_ _ight_?" His laugh was directed _right_ into the female's ear. She was in discomforting position, resulting in her trying to pull away. But the man kept her still. He quickly disposed of his fake, mocking laugh to stare directly at the two males that posed as her body guards. He could read them, _easily_. They were like an open book to him. "These two haven't been in any sort of _real_ fight and they're supposed to be your protection? _Pathetic._ " He spit out.

"Th-That doesn't mean we won't kick your _ass_!" Alfred was hesitant, but shout out against the man anyway. His loud voice quickly trumping over the man's quieter one. Yao, in an irritable motion, quickly turned and smacked Alfred's like he had done earlier, however was only against his arm as he didn't want to waist his energy on the taller male. Alfred quickly turned towards the Chinese man to shout. "What the _hell_?!"

"You are so very _stupid_." The Chinese man growled back.

"And they can't even work together" He whispered into her ear. "How pitiful." Slowly, Lilli began to shake. She knew this man. She knew _exactly_ what he was planning on doing. _Exactly_ what he was playing with. And, it scared her. He liked to play with his prey before devouring them whole. She didn't want to watch _him_ fight. He was brutal! He was terrifying! He was an _monster_!

It was as if he was waiting for her to finally realize what he was doing, because once he began shaking he looked at her with a sly smile. Lilli tried to fall to the ground below, but he kept his grip strong. The blond bangs that fell in front of his eyes acted like a flimsy cage, holding the beast back. With that rare shine in his dull violet eyes present, there was no holding his predator back.

He glanced back up at the two, even though their hate was upon each other's at the moment. He paused before he spoke, as if he was carefully picking out his next words. "Let's make a _deal_."

The two males turned their attention back over to the man as those words reached their ears.

"A deal?" Yao carefully questioned.

"Yeah. You give me Lilli. In response, you can have all these papers. _All_ of them." All three of their eyes grew wide. He was just _willing_ to give all those papers over...? If they were important then... Why was he allowing them to have the whole stack...?

"And the other option...?" Alfred slowly questioned. The first deal was just too good to be true. They had to look at _all_ options. Their could be a better way. The man's eyes narrowed upon hearing that they wanted to hear the flip of the coin. However, he gave it to them.

"You fight me." He growled. The two males took a step back, afraid of him lunging at the both of them. "If you live, you escape. If you lose, _I get to kill you_." The American glanced back at the Chinese, both coming eye to eye, showing how worried they were. Her life for papers...? A _life_ for a simple stack of _paper_? Was it worth it? Giving her life over? To Lilli, it was.

In her extended arm she held out the stack. She wanted them to take it. She wanted them to forget about her and run. But, they wouldn't .They wouldn't run. That's not how it works for the both of them.

"No..." The man blinked. "No life is worth a stack of papers, no matter how important they are made out to be." Alfred spoke softly, a bit afraid of raising his voice at the moment. Yao took a step forward, planting a firm nod in the conversation. They were ready to fight. They were ready for _death_ if it came to that.

Slowly, the man chuckled. These had to be some of the _stupidest_ people he had ever met! How dumb where they?! He harshly shoved Lilli to the ground, forcing all the papers to fall from her grasp. Slowly, the fluttered to the ground, all out of order.

"Pick those up." The man commanded. Lilli quickly nodded, wanting to pick them up anyway. He watched her for a second before continuing. "If you try to leave, I'll _kill_ you." His voice spun into a growl towards the end of his command. Turning his attention back to the two males, he was surprised to see anger upon their faces. Was it because he threw the female the ground? Funny. They barely knew each other, yet the two seemed to protect her like a family. The man spoke once again this time it was directed towards the two men. "A two on one. How does that sound? You have the advantage." He walked out, giving the 3 of them a bigger area to fight on.

There was something... fishy going on... First offering the stack of papers for Lilli then fighting at a disadvantage? What kind of game was he playing with them? Either way, they had the advantage and they were taking it.

"Fine by me, _aru_." Yao narrowed his eyes. The two males fell back into an attacking position, hands falling upon their individual weapons. They silently agreed to wait and see what their opponent would do. Then, they would react. The man stood for a second, staring at the two. Once he knew they weren't going to attack his hand fell and slowly moved to his lower back. In a quick, swift motion his arm swung back around, allowing the two to see his weapon. A... sport's stick...? It was most likely a hockey stick, by the way it was curved. There were wraps that rested along the handle, in places where his hands would lay to rested, most likely for better support and grip. At the bottom part of the blade there was a sharp, metal lining that seemed to be able to take off a limb if it had enough force. His body lowered into a fighting position as well, showing he was ready to fight.

Alfred and Yao quickly eyed one another before nodding in agreement. Gripping onto the handle, Alfred yanked out one of his pistols and was quick to fire. Three shots. That's all Alfred shot, hoping to end this quickly by catching him off guard. However, the man was ready. Stabbing the ground with his weapon, he shoved his body in the opposite direction, nearly dodging all three. Only getting one to skim his arm.

He had no time to stable himself as Yao was on top of him. Swiftly, the Chinese man brought down his two sharp Dao swords, wanting to do some damage. To his surprise, however, the man quickly shot up his stick and managed to block the attack. His swords didn't even leave a dent! It was like the man's weapons wasn't made up of wood like it seemed. Either way, Yao pushed. With narrowed eyes, he pushed against the weapon as hard as he could. He wanted it to do _something_ to it! Whether it be a crack, a split, or breaking the weapon in half. He just wanted to do _something_! However, no matter how much Yao pushed, or how much force seemed to be applied, that weapon could not be destroyed.

The man slowly began pushing against the sharp weapons, forcing Yao to take a step back to give himself better support. With power, the male was able to rise to his feet and began working on fixing himself. The Chinese man was taken back. First his weapon, now his strength?! Quickly, his eyes narrowed again as he began to shove the man back down.

Even though the male's focus was upon Yao, he had a wide perspective. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the American approaching, rapidly. In a quick, fluid motion, the man pulled his weapon back, rotated it around in his hand, and swung it. Yao was forced into the crook of the hockey stick and pulled around the man's form. With the force of speed of the man's swing, when he stopped Yao was flung out. The two teammates quickly collided, slamming together painfully. Yao pushed the American back, forcing him to land on his back with a thud. The Chinese man was forced against Alfred's chest, groaning in pain from the impact.

Looking to see if Yao was alright, Alfred's attention was directed towards the approaching man. He brought the weapon up above his head, signaling that he would bring it down. Allowing his body to take control, Alfred harshly shoved Yao to the side, forcing him to roll the other way. The man's weapon was brought down into the ground below, just barely missing. The swing was powerful as it sticking the stick deep into dirt.

Alfred quickly pushed himself up, thinking the man was coming after him. However, the male ignored him. Instead, he ripped the stick from the ground, flinging up some dirt. He quickly marched up to the Chinese man as he was slowly pushing himself up, his back in a lot of pain. Yao glanced up just in time for the man's attack. In a swift motion, his foot drove straight into Yao's side. The force knocked him back a few feet and forced him to the ground as he grabbed his side in pain, his weapons left a ground where he once was. He was gasping for air, trying to push himself up to continue fighting. The man simply walked over, brought back his leg, and swung, kicking him once again, this time in the stomach. His kick was harder than the last.

Yao screamed in pain, gripping onto his stomach. It felt like his body was breaking apart. He could feel the wind rushed by as he lifted up his leg for another kick. He wasn't going to try to move, he couldn't. Not in time. However... it never landed. Slowly pealing his eyes open, Yao saw the man. However, he was frozen. Not in fear, but because a knife was pushed up against his throat. Yao's eyes drifted to the holder of the knife. At first, he thought it was Alfred. That he had got up and managed to grab him before he landed another attack. Yet... It wasn't... Not the American he knew... The man who had the attacker pinned had locks of red-brown and narrowed, burning red eyes.

"You land another kick, I slit your throat." The man growled. His accent was definitely American, however it sounded... rougher... like it was from the Southern tips of the country. One of Yao's hands released to the ground so he could work on getting himself back up. While he rose his eyes scanned the area. Lilli was still here. Thankfully unharmed and untouched, her papers all gathered and stacked in a neat pile in her hands. But, as Yao looked Alfred was no where to be seen. So... Where was Alfred? Unless... Yao's eyes quickly shot back over to the dark haired man. That type of knife he held onto... The way his hair slightly curved and fell upon his face... That little piece of hair that stuck up at the top of his head... That _was_ Alfred. That was his _second soul_. The dark aura that surrounded his body said it all. Yao had never witnessed his transformation, let alone know _anything_ about what he looks like.

The man glanced back at Alfred, noticing the change. He was surprised, but not worried. He eyed the man as best he could, trying to map him out, before speaking.

"Not bad. That's probably because I've seen worse. However..." The man glanced at the American again. "I thought you would be... _better_." Swiftly, the man lifted up his leg and shoved it back, hitting the American and forcing off of him. The man quickly spun his body around, redirecting Alfred's knife so it wouldn't cut at his throat. He grabbed Alfred's arm and forced him to spin around, pulling his arm up his back so he couldn't fight back. The American began to fight back, trying to pull himself out of the position he was forced into. The man smirked and released him, forcing him to fall to the ground as he pulled away. Quickly, Alfred caught himself redirected his motion so he would face the man.

Alfred slide back a couple of feet, his eyes narrowed. With his free hand, he reached into his jacket, latched onto one of pistols and whipped it out, unloading all of his shots at the man. It was tricky, but he was able to move his body through the burst of bullets, only allowing a few to nick and skim his skin. Once Alfred's reached his limit, the man rushed. As the man ran he pulled his weapon back. Once he got close enough, he swung, metal side aimed for his chest, wanting to land something _big_ on him. Quickly Alfred dropped to the ground, only having the metal slice at his slower falling bangs. Once he hit the ground he shoved his legs out, hitting the man in the gut and forcing him to stagger back. The man growled and glanced up at Alfred, seeing none other than a simple smirk on his face.

While all of this went down, Yao was struggling to push himself up. One hand rested on his pained stomach while the other was on the ground. His weapon had fallen out of his possession when he was first kicked. The pain in his stomach was strong. It hurt quite a bit. It felt like he would throw up any second now. He was able to raise his head to watch the fighting. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. Alfred was fighting this man by himself, and wasn't necessarily winning. The man was _strong_. Alfred was only just now managing to rival his power by having his second soul take over. Yao had to get up and help. He _had_ to.

The pounding in his head began to slowly increased, growing more and more painful each hit. He heard the voice... that voice... _his_ voice... And, he wanted out. He wanted out badly. He wanted to attack. He wanted to fight. The Chinese man was struggling to keep him back. To keep him contained. No. He could do this on his _own_.

Yao began to slowly and painfully push himself up. Each forceful push brought pounds of weights upon his body. The more he rose, the more he wanted to fall back. He could do this. He could. He _had_ to. H-He did. Yao was able to push himself to his knees and worked on getting up. He wanted to rise and help. Help Alfred so he wouldn't fight alone. So he wouldn't _die_. No death... No more... He could do this. Get up and fight. Get up and help. He could do this. H-He could. H-He could... A hammer pounded against his brain. Electricity was forced through his heart. It hurt. His side. His stomach. His head. His heart. H-He could do it... H-He... couldn't...

His dark aura began to pool from Yao's body as he fell back to the ground. He couldn't. He couldn't. He needed help. Just like he needed all those years ago. His other side had finally busted through. He was finally out. Compared to Gilbert's transformation, the Chinese man's hair seeped back into his head, shrinking his brown, tinted red, hair to come at shoulder length. It was painful, but they pushed through it. His eyes, the color, fell into a deep red. A sly smile placed it's way upon his lip as he crawled over to his weapons. His fingers slipped through the straps and curled around both handles, gripping them tight. His head didn't even raise as he pushed himself up and rushed at the man.

The man stood over top of the beaten America, ready to bring his weapon down and end his life. He was too preoccupied to notice the Chinese man, who hadn't moved from his stop until now. Yao shoved his blades under the handle of the man's weapon, cupping it and stopping it's swing. The man glanced behind him, being taken by surprised upon seeing the once curled up man. While his attention shifted, that gave the American an opportunity.

Alfred quickly shoved himself up and landed a good, hard punch against the dude's face. The man turning back to Alfred and growled, not liking being taken advantage of. However, he only received another blow, pulling blood from the inside of his noes. In a fit or anger, the man ripped his hockey stick away from Yao's hold. In a quick motion, he swung it around his body, knocking them back. The two received a large cut across their chests, but the man wasn't satisfied. No. Not at all. He began twirling the stick in his hands, the sharp side out, trying to land as many hits as he could while also keeping them from landing hits on him.

Yao was one on his toes, making it easy for the Chinese man to deflect any possible hits. Alfred, on the other hand, had to dodge the attacks with his body. He pulled out his knife to try block some attacks he couldn't dodge in time. He wasn't have ease with it, but wasn't failing.

From the sidelines, Lilli watched in awe. It's been awhile since she last saw an allied transformation. This was the first time in years. So, it was like they were putting on a show for her. A show that she thought would never happen. She knew that man. He was near the top of his rank. He was the one who monitored what she did. In response, she watch him. She knew his strengths and weaknesses. He was strong. So, for Alfred and Yao to be matching his level, it was... incredible... It almost seemed impossible. That this wasn't real. But, it was.

The man began to forcing his way over towards Yao, aiming to destroy his concentration. However, the Chinese man was on all over it. While the man swung with full force at Yao, over and over again, he would simply deflect them with a smirk on his face. It was like he was predicting every attack the man tried to land. He couldn't be _that_ predictable, could he? No. He trained hard. He was hard to read. But, that smile... They were in the middle of a fight! Why was he smiling? Why did his face hold such a smirk? It made the man angry. Every deflect, every smirk, ever missed hit, the man grew angrier and angrier. His growl turned into a snarl. The angrier he got, the cockier he became. And, that made him _very_ predictable.

The Chinese man began landing hits in open opportunities he was given. Whether they be nicks against his chest, or cuts against his arms, he began losing this fight. Once Alfred got a grip on the man's pattern he was able to land multiple hits himself, cutting his back at every opportunity. However, their triumph was small and was over quickly.

With a single, quick, tiny rotation in his weapon, the man was able to slide his weapon under Yao's potential block and hit him hard. Yao was knocked back by the hit and was forced to kneel. One of his hand instinctively released his weapon to grab onto his wound. The cut was large and cut straight across his entire lower chest. He could feel the thick red liquid seep out off his body. It quickly coated his hand and dripped down his body to the dirt ground below.

While the man was focused on Yao, Alfred was able to rush the man. He brought the knife in a downward motion, aiming to cut a long line down his back. The man was able to notice the American and pushed his body out of the way, however, not as fast as he would like. Alfred's knife managed to scrap his arm, creating a long, large cut along his upper arm. He man whipped his head back at the American, growling at him and baring his teeth. Didn't thinking the man was going to react as fast as he did, Alfred was pulled down to the ground with the hockey stick. He didn't react fast enough, giving the man plenty of time to rotate his weapon once more and bring the weapon down. All Alfred could do was roll, but that still gave the man an open opportunity to cut down his left side.

Alfred cried out in pain as it was now painful to do anything his left side. His narrowed eyes seemed to glow as he grew angry. His hand shot into his jacket and ripped out a loaded gun, where 5 shots were fired at the man. The man quickly dropped, but the American predicted it. It was such a predictable move to avoid being shot. Just _fall_. One bullet grazed the top of his head, however, the other 4 hit him. On in his upper leg, one in his shoulder, and the last two shot through both of his sides, shoving in the front and shooting out the back. The man was forced to the ground, gripping onto one of his sides as it began bleeding out.

Sensing Yao approaching the man quickly grabbed his weapon with his bloodied hand and jabbed the butt end of the stick into his knee. He could feel his knee pop as he came tumbling back down to the ground. However, while he fell, the Chinese man managed to bring his weapon down, nicking the man's back and cutting it pretty badly. The man growled in pain. In a fit of anger, the man brought up his weapon and swung it, ripping open both of their faces. It cut across both of their faces and blood was quick to begin pouring out.

The man was then on Alfred in seconds. His weapon driving down and slicing against his chest. Thankfully, the American was able to move just in time that the cut wouldn't be deadly. Noticing Alfred's fall in reaction time, the man jabbed his weapon at his body over and over again. Arm, leg, face, stomach. The American got slower and slower each cut, allowing the man to land more and more hits. Thankfully, Yao was able to pull himself over to the man to stop the attack.

Coming up behind him, Yao brought up his leg and kick the man away. Being taken by surprise, his body went with the powerful kick and his head slammed into the ground below. Reaching up, he could feel the blood starting from the side of his head. The man growled in irritation and began to push himself up to fight once more. However, Yao quickly rushed him, bringing his leg up in time to shove him back down. Before the man could do anything against Yao, Alfred was quick to walk over. As Yao's leg was bad, the man was able to push himself up. But, that gave the American an opening. Alfred swung his leg at a strong force, kicking the man square in the chest. He went flying out from under Yao's foot, allowing him to rest a bit. Alfred walked up to the man and kicked him again before he could do anymore. The man began coughing in pain, even bringing up a bit of blood. Pulling out his gun, and using the last available shot he had left, Alfred released the bullet into one of his knees, preventing him from following them. He finally released a shout in pain as he grabbed onto his bleeding knee.

When he didn't get up Alfred smirked. He pushed his stumbling body over to Yao to help keep him up right, as his body was struggling to stay straight with all the damage he took. Both were cut. Both were bloodied. Both could barely walk. It looked like they had just walked out of a war zone. The two met eye to eye, looking into the glow of each other's shade of red eyes. Slowly, smiles began to form on their faces, showing off some of the blood that cover their teeth.

"That was... _fun_." Yao spoke first, his accent much more prominent in this form than his normal. Alfred nodded in agreement.

"Much more exciting than in practice." After a minute or two of silence the two males remembered the female who they rush in to save. Turning towards her, they saw her simply standing there with her papers in hand. She wasn't terrified. She wasn't confused. She wasn't grossed out. However, she wasn't exactly happy. Her face showed concern, which actually took the two by surprise. Quickly, she rushed over.

"A-Are you two okay?" She questioned quickly. The two glanced at each other, silently communicating. As if they were deciding what to say to her.

"Oh, yeah. We could have kept fightin'." Alfred waved her away, however he winced in pain as he tried to raise his arm. He could only pull his limb up halfway. Lilli huffed, getting him to lower his arm and glance down at the ground.

"Come on." The shorter female spoke softly. "He won't be down for long nor will the guards take much longer in getting outside to us. We must hurry. You both will be healed as soon as we make it back to camp." The two males nodded, sliding their weapons into their holsters and covers. The three were slow to leave the area, as two could barely walk. However, they managed to hobble and stumble away from the area, leaving the out cold man on the dark, cold ground.

* * *

 **~Italian~  
 _Idiota-_ Idoit**

 **~Spanish~  
 _Amigos_ -Friends  
 _Nueve-_ Nine  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 17! Look at me go! Listen, this one was longer than the last chapter; 7,500 words this time! I'm so proud ^^  
Anyway~ This chapter was fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!  
It shouldn't be too hard, but can you guess who Alfred and Yao were fighting? There really wasn't a good way for me to hide his identity, so I tried the best I could. Though... I won't be surprised if many of you get it correct. **

**Thank you for following and adding this story to your favorites~ It makes a lot! Reviews are always appreciated, of course~  
** **If I've made any grammar/spelling mistakes, or if you speak a language that was used and I have made a translation mistake, please inform me and I will fix it as soon as possible.**

 **Until next chapter, Happy Reading~**


	18. Chapter 18

The small group of three slowly made their way across the barren, open land. Nothing in behind them and nothing in front of them. Just the cool air of night around them. It had only taken the two males a two day trip to arrive at the building, however, with the injuries they had received during their fight it would take _quite_ longer to make it back than expected. The damages upon their bodies grew every hour they walked; cuts growing, blood falling, bruises growing. You name it. They were forced to fall into a slow, dragging pace as the males could barely walk. They were just barely alive.

Slowly, the moon fell to the ground and the sun began to rise; the changing of night to day was creeping upon their heads. Erika pushed the two to walk as far as they could, hoping to find some sort of cover to sit and rest in. The beginning of the day was never difficult. However, you never want to be out and about in the _middle_ of the day. The sun is the highest as the temperature is the warmest. It's always safe to travel long, open distances in the cover of night, sunrise and sunset.

Quickly, the female's eyes landed upon a rock formation in the near distance. She pushed the two to keep walking, explaining they would rest soon. What caught her by surprise was their response. She was expecting them to complain that it was too far, or something of that manner. However, it was the exact opposite. They were actually _resilient_. They didn't want to stop. No. They wanted to keep walking. Ignore the rest and get back to camp as fast as they could. However, with the rising sun pounding against their exposed skin and the lack of water in their dry mouths Alfred and Yao both, _reluctantly_ agreed to take a rest. Erika was delighted to discover that this formation had created a small, shallow cave for them to rest in. She ushered the two in, helping them lower themselves down to the ground. Sitting under the rock the two boys sighed already feeling their bodies temperature cool down and relax.

While they rested, Erika set her papers down in a neat pile before walking out of the cave. Alfred eyed the female, making sure nothing would happen to her. The American was actually surprised when she bent down in front of a calm little river. Why hadn't he noticed it before...? When she stood up and walked back into the cave she held a small cup filled to the brim with that clear water. She bent down in front of him first, handing the glass over to him.

"Here." Erika spoke softly with a light smile upon her face. Yao glanced over only to blink upon seeing the cup of water. "We're all exhausted. On top of that, the both of you have lost a lot of blood. You probably want and _need_ something to drink." The two continued to surprise the female as this time, they refused the water. Yao rested his head against the rocky wall while Alfred turned his head away, ignoring the cup.

"We're fine, _aru_." Yao spoke up first.

"Yeah, don't worry 'bout us, doll." Alfred glanced back at the long haired female with a smile. Erika simply rolled her eyes. It was a little unnerving that the two had yet to changed back to their original appearances, but it wasn't to be concerned over, yet... Even so, the female didn't like these two very much, they were very rude and cocky. _Both_ of them. As evident from before, it was very hard to get them to follow her and listen to anything she said. Sometimes, she had to be rude back just to get them to pay attention to her, which she hated very much so.

"I can't have the two of you dropping to the ground from overheating and dehydration." Erika tried to explain to the rough men in front of her. "If I had some spare cloth on me I would be currently trying to clean up those wounds of yours."

"That fucker got a couple good hits on me, but I'm fine. It's not that bad." Alfred shrugged, trying to hide his evident pain. Erika simply stared at him, a deadpan expression upon her face.

"You can barely walk." She began to argue. Alfred blinked at her constant force, however he simply narrowed his eyes and began to argue back.

"I don't have a lot of energy."

"You have blood all over your body."

"It's not _that_ much. Besides, it's all dry by now anyway."

"I can see fresh blood right now." Erika pointed. Alfred opened his mouth to continue however, it slowly fell shut as his eyes fell to the ground; he fell quiet. He had no idea on how to argue back from that. Every point that he gave, the woman in front of him was quick to either dismiss it or bring up another point altogether. It was like she was used to arguing like this.

With a role of his red eyes, Alfred finally gave in. He reached for the cup, grabbing it and pulling it up to his lips.

"Shot down like that." A chuckle grew in Alfred's ear as Yao finally spoke up.

"Shut it, Asian." Alfred growled as he glared at the now short haired man. He hated being laughed at. Yao was quick to drop the chuckle to growl back, eyes slipping into a narrowed form.

"It's _Chinese_." Did I mention the fact that this two enjoyed arguing? They will argue with almost anyone and everyone, however they're constantly in a fit with one another the most. It's like they're constantly holding a grudge over one another. The nice thing was, through all this fighting, when the time called for it the two of them could work _excellently_ together, cooperating almost in sync. Allies in work, enemies in discussions.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He waved, brushing the Chinese man away. Tipping the cup, water was poured into the American's mouth. Cool. Refreshing. Relief. In the moment, it felt like heaven lacing his lips. He didn't realize how thirsty he really was until that water hit his lips. He drank quickly and greedily, wanting every last clear drop. With the cup above his head he drained the cup dry. There wasn't a single drop left. Slowly, he lowered the cup back down and handed it back over to Erika. She gave a slight smile before she stood up and walked back over to the river to collect another cup for Yao. The two males glanced at one another, not expecting her to be this nice to them. For their first _official_ time out from deep within the body, they were met with kindness and heartfelt care.

Upon Erika's reentry to the shallow cave she walked over to Yao and handed him the now filled cup. Quickly, the Chinese man brought the contents up to his lips and let it fall into his dry mouth. Greedily, he chugged the rest down his throat. It felt so good. Too good to be true even. Erika slowly lowered her body to the ground, wanting to finally rest herself.

"You know... I never properly got any names from the two of you." She spoke softly, glancing up to look at the two males. Alfred and Yao looked at each other in confusion. "If it helps, I can tell you mine. My name is _Erika Vogel_. You probably already knew my first name however." Adjusting his position to feel a bit more comfortable, the short haired Asian spoke first.

"I am called Wang, Yao. You may refer to me as Yao, as that is my first." The American rolled his eyes before quickly speaking from himself.

"Alfred Jones. Alfred happens to be _my_ first." He glanced back at Yao with a smirk, happy to see the Chinese man already pent up in anger as he sent death glares towards the American. A sigh was dragged from Erika as her shoulders fell. This trip was going to be rough... "So, where are ya' from?" Alfred turned his head away from Yao to continue speaking to the female in front of them. Erika blinked, surprised by his interest. "I mean, I'm from America. He's Chinese. So, what are you?"

"You have an accent similar to that of, like, Ludwig or something." Yao added on, pulling a nod from the American.

"Well..." Erika paused for a moment before answering their question. "My home country is very small. Sometimes, barely shows on maps." She sighed, but continued. "It's a very small and underpopulated country known as _Liechtenstein_." The two males slowly glanced at each other, blinking in confusion.

"Never heard of it." Yao explained, rested his head back against the wall.

"I figured as much." Erika sighed, lowering her head and folding her hands against her lap. "You're not going to know. Nobody even knows it _exists_. It rests, snugly, right in between Switzerland and Austria."

"Show us when we get back, okay?" Erika blinked upon hearing the American's voice. She glanced back up to see a light smile resting upon his face. "I want to see what is looks likes." Slowly a smile worked upon Erika's face as her head bobbed into a single nod.

While Alfred and Yao were both ready to get up and continue walking once more Erika managed to force them to stay just a bit longer. She wanted to make sure they they wouldn't pass out if they continued. There was no way of her carrying either of them all the way back if they did. So, the group rested for just a short, couple more minutes before getting up and walking once more. Paranoia got the best of the group as Erika was constantly fearful that they were being followed or they would be spotted somehow. While the boys agreed that a continuous walk would be the best bet, the female outright refused that option. She wanted what was best for _them_ , not what _they_ thought was best.

They would walk for as long as Erika saw fit, probably around 4-5 hours, but it always depended on the weather. If the sun was shining they would be short walks, if clouds covered the vast sky, they would walk long. Once the Liechtensteiner felt they should stop they would try to spot a place that would give them shade and cover to rest. Most of the time, it was a small gathering of rocks like they had first rested in. However, their rest wasn't anywhere near as long as they walked. For every hour they would rest for 5-10 minutes. One hour, 10 minutes. 5 hours, 30 minutes. This way Erika could feel better about giving the men a rest while trying to get back to camp as quickly as possible. While she was against it, the boys pushed to limit their sleep to get back even faster. They could rest back at camp.

The farther they walked the more Erika kept her eye upon Yao and Alfred. The two barely spoke anymore and it worried her. They both explained they were just trying to save energy, but it was always scary when someone who talks quite a bit suddenly goes quiet. The good side about this, however, was the fact that they weren't fighting as much anymore. Either way, Erika was still worried. They already lost so much blood from fighting and it didn't look like they were healing any time soon either. Every now and again the Liechtensteiner was able to spot bright, fresh blood dripping right over top of the dried ones. They also could barely walk as is, so this problem worsened their situation.

Every hour they walked the slower and slower they got. A normal 2 day trip turned into 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 9 days. They were tired. They were hungry. They were living off of water sources that were barely around at all. With fight and determination the three pushed on. Push on and hoped they would arrive soon. And their prayers were answered.

Slowly but surely, over the horizon, those mountainous peak began to rise. Just the sight of those few peaks brought relief and joy to all three of their faces. Finally... days later... almost 2 _weeks_... they had made it back home. The closer they got the happier they were. Just before they could get too close, however, Erika forced them to come to a stop. Both Alfred and Yao blinked, not understanding why they were stopping. Glancing over at the female the two were confused upon seeing her stare off towards the elevated rocks. Slowly, the two turned and eyed the steep hills, surprised upon seeing people. They appeared to be trying to scare them off as most had guns raised to their shoulders and aimed down upon them. They must be guarding the camp inside, protecting it from intruders. Since when did they have guards?

Shoving her hand into her pocket Erika quickly pulled out a small piece of fabric. She held it up towards the sky and waved in back and forth, trying to relax the stationed guards and explain that they were no threat. One by one, the guns pointed at them were lowered, allowing the three to relax their tense bodies.

"What was that..?" Alfred managed to question in a quiet voice. Erika lowered the flag and stuffed it back into her pocket before turning towards to the American.

"Back then we use clothes and flags like this for signals and such. I guess things have changed since I've been gone." Glancing back towards the rocky hills Erika slowly and carefully began leading the two males forwards. To their surprise, an armed man seemed to have simply walked right out from the rocks. He didn't advance forwards, only waving them over. There must be a path, right? Where else would the man have come from? But, from what Alfred and Yao both remember was that there wasn't a path when they left. Otherwise, they would have taken it to leave, not climb over the rocks. Either way, they slowly and carefully followed the armed man through the dimly lit tunnel through the thick rock. Once stepping back outside and into the light once more, Alfred and Yao hissed, being blinded by the sudden change in light. They're eyesight didn't have any time to adjust before the sound of angry yelling was heard.

"What are you doing?! I _clearly_ said no entry unless confirmed by _me_!" Slowly, their eyes readjusted to the natural sunlight, allowing them to see clearly once again. And, the first thing they were able to make out none other than Vash marching right up to the guard that had walked them in. The man quickly stood at attention and went to explain himself. However, the angry Swiss wanted none of his excuses. "I don't care who the _hell_ it is! I am the commander here! You know what that means, don't you? _Everything_ goes through _me_!" His accent grew hard and rough as he yelled. While most would tremble under the Swiss' screams, like most of the guards were, it only pulled Erika's eyes wide open. While it's been years since she had last stepped foot in this camp, she could recognize that accent anywhere. Slowly, the female lowered the stack the papers down to the ground. Step by step, the long haired Liechtensteiner moved towards the shouting male. Before Vash could turn to see exactly who had entered the camp, Erika quickly threw her body onto his. Her arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him in close, burying her face into his clothes. The Swiss man staggered back a bit, not the one for openly hugging. _Especially_ by a random stranger. He didn't have time to do, or say, a thing before Erika spoke softly.

" _Große Bruder_..." While it was soft, it shot right through the man's ears and directly into his brain. His head instantly fell to look upon the girl. Erika's head slowly rose to come eye to eye with the man, green looking into green. Those green eyes... That long blonde hair... He knew _exactly_ who this was.

"E-Erika..." His voice began to waver as he spoke that single name. The gun on his shoulder dropped to the ground as he quickly wrapped his arms around his 'younger sister'. He buried his face into her shoulder, speaking softly. "Oh my god... y-you're safe... you're okay.. you're _alive_..." His hand slowly rose, slipping his fingers up into her hair. He just wanted to feel her in his grasp. To know it was her. It's been so long. He almost thought he would never be able to recognize her when she made it back. Yet, here she is and he remembers her clearly. After a prolonged period of time the two slowly pulled away to simply look at each other. To finally see one another again in so long...

"It's alright, _große Bruder_. I'm okay." She gave him a smile.

"B-But how!" Vash quickly questioned, a stutter to his voice in disbelief. "Jett and Toby said you didn't make it out in time! They-They said you weren't going to make it back!" Never had anyone seen such a stern character become so soft, worried, and frightened. He was happy, yet concerned. Who wouldn't be? His 'sister' had actually made it back home, even after the men responsible for her said she wasn't going to make it. He had so many questions. So many needed answers.

"Alfred and Yao ran in to save me. They told me they weren't going to leave me, no matter what anyone said. They're really are nice people." Erika gave a slight smile, simply happy seeing the Swiss man once again. Vash's eyes glanced passed Erika to land on the two males standing a bit to the back. They gave a light smile in response to his glance. To Vash's worry, they didn't look good at all.

They way their bodies swayed slightly, from the right to the left, as if they couldn't find a balance. Like they could barely stand up right. Blood, both fresh and dried covered their bodies, sticking their layers of clothing to their skin. Tears and slash mark on their clothing opened their sliced skin to the harsh outside. It was hard to tell how much actual damage they had received with all the blood, but with that much... They had made it home as well, however, barely in one piece. However, something else was off to the man... They looked _nothing_ like they did when they left.

Taking a step forwards, Vash opened his mouth to ask what had happened. However, a word never escaped his lip as his eyes widened. Both of their smiles fell from their face as they stopped swaying. Their eyes rolled back into their heads as their bodies went limp, dropping towards the ground. Thankfully, nearby men were able to grab onto them before they hit the ground and cause anymore damage to their bodies.

" _Schnell_!" Vash quickly commanded. "Rush them to the medic tent!" Grabbing onto his gun, Vash threw it back onto his back as Erika quickly grabbed her papers. She refused to remove her eyes from the two boys, wanting to make sure they were treated with care. Two of Vash's stronger men rushed over, getting their arms underneath the bodies to carefully picking them up and have a strong hold on them. The two blond Europeans rushed across camp, leading the two men over to the medical tent. Vash entered the tent first, eyeing the people inside. Towards the left of the tent there were two open tables, clean and clear for their next patient. Vash directed the two men to lay the two bodies down. One of the workers quickly noticed the large jump in numbers and made his way over to the group.

"Vash! What do you think you are doing?" Francis questioned. He wasn't harsh with his words towards the man, however, they weren't open towards his actions.

"I have two of our camp members down and need medical attention." Vash quickly turned to him. Francis was slightly shocked upon seeing a slight hint of worry that rested on the Swiss man's face. "Go get Toris and Feliks. With all the injuries that these two have taken, all three of you need to be here."

"Now, wait just a moment." While Francis was surprised to see the worry upon Vash's face, that didn't stop the Frenchman from questioning why he was here. He placed his hands upon the Swiss' shoulders, trying to get him to relax and calm down. "You're talking a mile a minute, Vash! I can't-" Francis' voice quickly cut as his eyes glanced passed Vash and to the two bodies upon the table. His eyes quickly widened in horror.

The Frenchman pushed passed the other man, rushing up to the tables. There, laying upon the slightly elevated tables, laid two of his friends. Two friends that he was told, weren't supposed to be _alive_. It took him a moment to realize who exactly were lying upon the table, as their second soul kept up the appearance and refused to lower themselves.

Quickly, he rested two of his fingers against Alfred's neck, hoping to locate even the _slightest_ beat of his heart. His own heartbeat began to raise as he was having trouble picking up a pulse. However, as he kept his fingers against his neck Francis received one; a slow and faint one. But, it was there.

"Toris! Feliks!" Francis shouted. Quickly, he rushed around the table and ran over to tent's supply cabinet. He threw open the small, thin doors and quickly began grabbing anything and everything. Hearing the male's worried shouts for them, the two males quickly came running, pushing their way through the crowd rapidly forming outside of the tent, everyone wanting to see what all the commotion was about.

"What's wrong, Francis?" The Lithuanian quickly question. Confusion and worry filled his face as he watched the Frenchman quickly gathering supplies. Francis glanced back at the two before eyeing the table where his two friends rested.

"Alfred and Yao _somehow_ made it back, but they're fading quickly from too much blood loss." Both Toris and Feliks' eyes widened upon hearing the words that left the Frenchman's lips. Quickly, their attention was directed over to the two tables. There, indeed, lay two camp members, both bleeding out on the hard surfaces. Toris rushed over to the tables while Feliks directed his attention to Vash. Slight worry filled his eyes, as if he wanted to seem like he didn't care. Holding onto him, was none other than Erika, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist in fear of what was going to become of the two males that had rescued her. The Polish man was taken back, not expecting to see her here at all. However, that doesn't mean he wasn't glad that she was safe.

"Vash!" Vash's eyes drifted to Feliks as his voice rang through his ears. "I need you to, like, get everyone out of here and away from the tent! We can't work with all this noise!" The Swiss nodded, allowing Feliks to rush over to help Toris. Turning towards to the two men he was running with, Vash didn't even have to speak single word as they quickly got the message. Walking over to the entrance of the tent, they began to push back the crowd, and shove them out of the tent.

"Get back! All of you!" Vash harshly shouted, hoping to simply scare some of the crowd away. "Let them work!"

However, Erika didn't walk with Vash as he began shoving people back to the outside. No. She actually shuffled her way closer to the two bodies, wanting to watch. Wanting to make sure they were going to be okay. The three medics rush around the two, grabbing things here and there and placing them upon an empty table next to the both of them. Rags, cloth, needles, scissors, stitches, water, disinfectant; any sort of supply you could think of was on that table.

Pools of blood began forming underneath the two, as if all of their cuts had reopened. Quickly, the three workers began to strip the two down, needing to get all the way down to their bare skin. Removing their weapons first, and placing them on a nearby table, they then began working on their clothes. Little, sharp knifes were brought out to cut and tear away the clothing. It would be easier to simply cut the clothing apart rather than trying to sit them up and undress them like that. Not only would that take too long, but it will also cause more blood to drip out. Even so, Francis decided against tearing apart the American's bombing jacket. He carefully removed the jacket from his upper body and laid it off to the side. He wanted that to stay safe, knowing how much it meant to him. As soon as they got to the skin, the three began work.

First, they began wiping away all the blood that had dried layers upon layers on their skin. In order to actually begin working on the injuries they had to see it first. And, that meant removing all the previously dried blood and try to calm the new blood flow. A couple more medics began flowing into the room, as help was needed.

There was a lot of blood to remove, so much so that the water that they were using seemed to turn into blood itself. The water had faded into a very dark red, however that did not stop the team from using it. It was quicker than worrying about refilling it. It took a while, but slowly they team worked their way down to the cuts. The very _large_ cuts. On just their upper body alone, each body seemed to hold a good couple _dozen_ of cuts.

Quickly, thin pieces of string and needles were pulled out to be used. Disinfectant was quickly laid out upon the table as multiple thin metal supplies were brought out. Each worker began work on a different cut, wanting to get as many done as possible. The workers would use the metal to pry at the skin, eyeing it for any sort of bullet, metal, or something that might have gotten stuck. Once the cut was cleared, disinfectant was poured upon the cut to clean it out. As the disinfectant was cleaning the workers then began sewing the skin back together, trying to use the medicine to get the needle in and out quicker. Slowly, the smaller cuts began to disappear as the workers rushed to get them closed.

Once the smaller ones were closer the began joining up to close up the larger cuts. The large cuts were easier to check for foreign objects, however it took longer to sew back up. Rags had to be constantly pull over water to clean up the slowly flowing blood that continued to drain. Slowly but surely, however, the large cuts were stitched back together and the blood stopped pouring. But... that was just the upper body... They still had their legs to look at... And, if their upper bodies were this bad, how was the rest of their body...?

The small Liechtensteiner had moved to a better position in the tent to watch. With her papers set aside and her eyes glued to the two, her eyes never left the American or the Chinese man. She was worried for them She wanted to be here for them. She didn't want to leave them. _No_. They had risked their lives to make sure she got out of that building breathing. They were still willing to give up their lives to protect her, even ignoring her pleas to take the papers and run. They stayed and _fought_. Fought and _won_. She was going to stay with them until they awaken.

As the last of the large cuts were sealed shut, the men began work on the legs. Removing their bottoms, the group began work just as they had with the upper body; clean the skin, check the wounds, pour the disinfectant, and stitch. However, before they could start, all eyes landed upon Yao's leg. Something was different about it... Something bad... It wasn't resting upon the table properly, almost as if it had previously popped out of its joint...

Moving away from Alfred for a moment, Francis worked around tables to help Toris and Feliks on Yao. While the two held onto his leg, Toris on his upper thigh and Feliks on his calf, Francis placed his hands upon the knee cap. Glancing over at the two, as soon as they gave the Frenchman a nod Francis took a deep breath and quickly snapped the knee back into its joint. Even standing a bit back, Erika's ears were able to pick up on that snapping sound, forcing a twitch out of her body. She didn't liking it. _No_. Not one bit.

Slowly raising the leg and bending it, the three made sure the Chinese man's leg was back in place before laying it back down and releasing it. Once it was back down, they continued to work on patching up the two men. From cleaning up the blood and stitching them back up, to icing up some of their large bruises, it was a long and difficult process. However, the group didn't give up, even if that meant using all of their supplies on just two camp members. These were men that Francis had lived with for, practically his _whole_ life. He wasn't going to give up on them. They wouldn't for him.

Slowly, one by one, the cuts were stitched and blood stopped flowing. The man and woman around the two bodies didn't look any better than the bodies on the table; sweat dripping down their faces, blood covering their hands and arms, as well as a couple streaks atop their own head from pushing back hair or wiping away the sweat. Reaching over, the first thing Francis did was carefully rest 2 of his fingers on Yao's neck. He slowly closed his eyes and put all of his focus into listening for a pulse. As seconds ticked by, the Frenchman grew more and more worried. The air in the room feel tense, all eyes upon Francis and the two bodies. Nothing. Simply _silence_.

Just as all hope was lost, and Francis was slowly pulling away his hand, something hit his fingers. And then, again. With wide eyes, Francis looked down at the Chinese man, noticing the slight rise and fall of his chest. That was Yao's pulse! A-And that was him breathing! Whipping around, he turned towards Alfred and briskly moved his fingers over to his neck to do the same. And, there it was! Francis could feel his pulse _instantly_. Both were faint, however they were growing quickly. Francis slowly rose his head to look at the group, a slight smile glowing off his face. "They are going to be okay!" All the medic's eyes widened in joy. All their work was going to pay off. Turning towards his two mentors Francis saw them give him soft smiles. This was his first real medical emergency he had to tend to, and in their eyes, he did _perfectly_.

Erika's heavy, built up breath finally broke free, her tense shoulders following in the relaxation. Slowly a light smile grew upon her face. They were going to be okay. That's all that mattered to her. Shuffling her way over, the Liechtensteiner quietly made her was over to the two bodies, wanting to see how bad they really looked. Her eyes scanned their bodies, seeing all the cuts and bruises they were hiding from her. She was there; She watched the fight. They couldn't have gained all of these in that fight, could they? It just... She didn't remember their attacker landing that many hits on the two. But... now that they were stitched back together and had bandages wrapped around the cuts to keep them closed, they didn't actually look _that_ bad. They didn't look good either, but they were alright...

"Erika..." Hearing her name, the female turned towards the voice's location to see Toris and Feliks, staring at her with wide eyes. However, all she did was blink, not recognizing the two who had called her name. Not realizing that they weren't being remembered, Feliks spoke up.

"Like, look at you!" Feliks held his arms out, exaggerating his words as much as he could. Ignoring his job, the blond haired Pole made his way over to Erika, wanting to get a closer look at her. Erika flinched slightly, not wanting the unknown man anywhere near her. "Your hair grew out so much! I didn't think you were gone _that_ long, girl!" A smile worked its way upon the male's face. And, that's when it hit the female. That accent... It was... recognizable... Erika curiously blinked, trying to place a name to the face, a name to that accent. Slowly, she set her stack of papers on a nearby table so she could walk around easier. Taking a step forwards, Erika looked at the to men's faces. Slowly, her eyes widened.

"Feliks...? Toris...?" She questioned softly. There was no way... Was it...? Her questions were answered as all the two did was give a simple smile. In return, a smile grew upon her own face, rushing over to the two to give the both of them a long, overdue hug. The two males were happy to give Erika a hug in return, wrapping their arms, the best they could, around the female. Just as quickly as they hugged, the three pulled apart so they could continue talking. "I couldn't even recognize the two of you! I-I mean, look at your hair! Both of you! It's long now!"

"I know. Like, totally my idea." Feliks spoke, placing his hand on his chest. Toris sighed, however did not disagree.

"So, this is Erika, I presume?" The group of three blinked at the new, accented voice. Turning around, the group came eye to eye with Francis as he was walking towards the group, a towel in hand to dry off his now clean hands.

"Erika, this is Francis." Toris explained, holding out his hand to introduce the Frenchman. "He helps out around here, choosing the Medical field as his job. He arrived here just a little bit after you left. His group was just a couple handfuls of kids, including Alfred and Yao here." As soon as Toris finished the Frenchman's introduction, his hand grazed under Erika's, pulling it up slowly. Meeting halfway, his lips placed a light kiss atop her hand. All Erika could do was blink. She was frozen under him.

"It's a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady like yourself." Francis smiled, speaking softly into her hand.

" _D-Danke_..." Erika managed to get out, stuttering a bit at the beginning. Toris and Feliks simply chuckled, already quite used to the Frenchman's 'romantic' ways.

"Erika, if you don't mind me asking..." Francis and Erika turned their attention over towards the Lithuanian as he spoke up. "How long have those two been _that_ way?" Toris turned his head towards the two tables, pulling Erika's attention to the two males. She was a little confused by what the brown haired man was talking about. However, after looking over the two her eyes widened slightly upon realization.

"Well... Since they protected me." The three men blinked. "On our way out we ran into my monitor. He wouldn't let me leave so the two of them fought him. They couldn't beat him easily so until they changed. And, well... they've been like that since then." Erika glanced back over, moving her attention away from the two sleeping males.

"Is that... something we should worry about...?" Francis questioned, worry in his voice. What was going to happen to his two friends? Were they going to be stuck like this?

"Well... not... entirely..." Feliks spoke up for Toris. He voice was soft and broken, trying to figure out how to word his next sentence. "As far as we know, there really isn't, like, a limit for how long we can stay switched. Though, it's totally _not_ good if they stay this way for long." Seeing the worry grow in the Frenchman's eyes Toris slowly walked closer to the long blond haired man, placing hand atop his shoulder.

"They will change back soon, don't worry." Francis glanced over at the Lithuanian. Upon his face held a soft smile, trying to relax the Frenchman's worries. "Give them time. If they are not back by the time they awaken, then all we have to do is talk." The worry in his eyes fell slightly, wanting to believe Toris' words. Slowly, Francis released a light sigh and nodded.

" _D'accord_."

"I'm going to interrupt and I don't care." The rude voice of the Swiss entered the tent member's ears, forcing everyone to turn their attention to the man. Holding the gun close to his shoulder he walked farther into the tent to continue speaking. "We need get moving. Julius and Helmut are requesting a meetup today. Besides," His voice softened as he turned towards his 'little sister'. Erika eyed her 'brother' curiously. "They'll be needing your papers." Instantly, the Liechtensteiner remembered what she was doing back home. Glancing over to where she had set them down her eyes landed on her two 'saviors' resting peacefully. A deep breath was inhaled before replying with a short nod. Moving her body around the table, her fingers slid under the stack and picked them back up, keeping them close to her body as she made her way back over to the four.

"Don't worry, _girl_!" Feliks smiled, pulling Erika's attention over towards the Pole. "You'll, like, _totally_ be one of the first people told as soon as they wake up!" The long haired female blinked, before pulling a light smile upon her lips.

" _Danke_."

"Vash and I will walk you over to the main tent, Erika." Toris spoke up. The Liechtensteiner's eyes moved towards the Lithuanian. "We're the ones who have to report." Glancing back at the two sleeping males, Erika gave a single nod only to being following the two males out of the tent. As soon as that tent flap fell shut Francis turned on his heels and made his way over to his two friends. Feliks turned to watch, wanted to see what he was going to do.

Reaching up, Francis slowly placed the tips of his fingers atop Alfred's skin. It was cold, but not freezing. They were alive, but no responding. Their bodies looked like shit, but were healing. Even so, he was simply happy that they made it back. Happy that they were _alive_. Well... as much as they _could_ be in this state... Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps he knew exactly who it was. No need to turn around.

"Are they really going to be okay, Feliks...?" Francis questioned softly, knowing the man was right next to him. The Polish man glanced down upon the bodies silently, trying to figure out how to respond correctly.

"I-I don't know... All we can really do, is wait..."

* * *

 **~German~  
** ** _Große Bruder_ -Big Brother  
** ** _Schnell_ -Quickly  
** ** _Danke_ -Thank you**

 **~French~  
** ** _D'accord_ -Okay/Alright**

* * *

 **Hello! I really like how all of these are turning out! I'm really excited for the rest of the story and should be exciting for all of you! So, I hope you all are still enjoying the story.  
Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot! Reviews and favorites are always appreciated. If I have made any spelling/grammer mistakes, as well as any translation mistakes please inform me and I will fix them.  
Until next time, happy reading~ **


	19. Chapter 19

The group of two males and a single female walked across the camp to get all the way over to the main tent that rested in the dead center of the camp. Not only did they have to report for their monthly review, but Erika had made it _home,_ safely. And, resting in her hands held a large stack of information crucial to the camp's plans, crucial to their _rebellion._

A lot had changed since the female had left the camp, much to her surprise. There were _many_ more children, as well as many young adults and regular adults. Some of which she recognized from long ago, much however, she could have never guessed she had previously lived with. Besides the people, the layout had change as well, _dramatically_. New tents have been set up, while others were moved closer together. Locations of old tents had jumped around the camp and some no longer even existed. So, while the three walked through the camp Toris and Vash gave some basic explanations on what some of the new tents were and where others had been moved to.

Slowly, the three made their way across the grounds and over to the largest tent in the camp; the meeting tent. Toris pulled back one of the draping doors, allowing the other two to enter before him. Ducking her head, Erika walked into the large tent before her eyes landed on the people within. She was quick to recognize the two leaders of the camp; Julius and Helmut, both looking like they hadn't changed one single bit. For the others however... She could barely recognize _any_ of them.

Noticing the movement out of the corner of his eye, Helmut glanced up to identify who exactly had entered. Instantly recognizing the 2 males, he was pleased to see that they had made it in time. However, his eyes caught hold of the smaller female, forcing his eyes directly onto her to get a better look. It took the older German a minute, however, once he recognized who this female was his eyes widened. Long, clean hair, a stack of papers in hand, not a single scratch upon her. It couldn't be... could it...?

"Erika!?" All heads turned towards the shout, Helmut included, to watch none other than Elizabeta push herself away from the table and run straight up to the group. Not caring about the stack of papers that rested upon the smaller female's hands, Elizabeta quickly slipped her arms around Erika and swept the smaller girl off her feet. The papers quickly slipped out of her hands, dropping to the floor and falling apart. There was no time to protest as the Hungarian continued. "I'm so glad you're safe!" Elizabeta smiled, swinging the girl, in her arms, around.

"Put her down!" Vash shouted, not enjoying his 'sister' being thrown about. Elizabeta stopped herself and glanced over at the Swiss. Standing next to him, Toris, held a worried expression upon his face, scared of what might happen to the smaller female. With a sigh, the long haired female set Erika down gently, allowing her to stable herself. Once she was released her eyes shot up to the taller female, trying to recognize who exactly she was.

"Erika... Do you not remember who this is?" Toris spoke up, pulling the Liechtensteiner's attention over to him. Silently shaking her head the Hungarian behind her sighed, almost in sorrow. "Well... That's _Eliz_." Slowly, Erika's eyes widened only for her head to whip back around towards the long haired female. A simple smile was planted upon the female's face.

"N-No way!" All Elizabeta did in response was nod. "B-But, you've changed so much! You're hair is _long_! A-And you _actually_ look like a girl!" Elizabeta simply chuckled, not expecting to receive _this_ kind of response from her past friend.

"Yeah, things have to change over the years." Elizabeta looked down upon the smaller female with a smile. "I actually had to drop it _awhile_ back. It helped some of the children if I gave off a 'motherly' aura to them."

"That's really nice of you." Erika responded softly. If Elizabeta had changed _this_ dramatically over the course of her trip then... what could everyone else be like...?

Noticing the lack of conversation and the feeling of weights dropping on her shoulders, Erika turned her attention towards the large group. Just like she had thought, all eyes were upon her, most, with wide, unbelieving eyes. It was like they weren't believing what they saw. That it wasn't real.

"Hey." Erika's attention was dragged over towards the short haired Asian as he spoke. "Haven't, like, seen you in a couple years, have I?" His accent was very similar to that of Yao's, yet different in it's own way. Erika blinked at the man, unable to recognize him right away. However, once her brain clicked, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Leon?!" The man in question gave a faint smile in response. A large smile worked it's way upon her own face. Not only had she made it back safely and she was meeting up with all of her old friends, _Leon_ was able to come back as well. This was great.

"You're okay?!" A shout from the older Italian pulled the Liechtensteiner's attention away from the Chinese-like-man. She smiled at Julius, giving him a simple nod before responding.

"Yes, I am. Mr. Alfred and Mr. Yao both made sure I made it back the camp, safe and sound." That caused the group to freeze. Alfred and Yao...? They were both back as well...? Last time they heard, the two were gone, most likely _dead_ if anything. Running into that building unprepared is _suicidal_. Yet, Erika says they're both alive...?

"Well... They _are_ back." Toris spoke softly, interrupting the thoughts of many. "However... Not exactly in the _best_ of conditions."

"While I am worried for the both of them, we have to set them on the back burner for now." All heads whipped over towards the tall German, his arms folded across his chest. "We have a meeting under way and it would be best if we continued." The present group glanced at one another, wondering, silently, if he had a point.

"As much as it pains me to say, I agree with Helmut." The German growled at the Italian, his glares sharpened like knifes. His attention turned towards the new female, a smile upon his face. "We're _all_ glad that you made it home safely, Erika. With all the information, I presume?" Julius' eyes drifted to the floor, eyeing all the papers that had been shoved to the ground. Glancing down, to following the Italian's eyes, her own widened before falling to her knees to clean them up. Julius simply chuckled at her hastily actions before turning his attention over towards the rest of the group, needing to continue the meeting.

"It's been a couple weeks since the last rescue, so now is the time for the check up." Helmut began, pushing the conversation forwards.

"Let's start with the rescue mission. How did that go over?" Julius glanced over at the two separate leaders for the mission, wanting their report first.

"Well, besides the small mishap of Alfred and Yao, everyone made it out safely and the children made it back safely and in one piece." Jett spoke for his Beta mission first. He glanced over towards the Austrian, giving him the cue to speak for his mission. Roderich cleared his throat before explaining his part.

"Alpha was a success, thankfully. We had no major incident, a simple miscalculation was all. We had a close call with the guards, however we were all able to make it out in one piece. The children also seem to be warming up nicely."

"Great." Julius smiled, glad that there wasn't any other problem to worry about. His head turned towards the long, dark haired female in the room, pulling her attention up to him. "How's our food looking for all the new comers, Mei?" The said female smiled before she spoke up.

"Are food is holding up, thankfully. _Though_ , with the current amount of mouths we need to feed our food supplies will fall short quickly."

"Vash?" Helmut questioned quickly, wanting to get this conversation moving along. All eyes migrated over towards the Swiss, waiting to hear his answer.

"Our supplies are stable. It would be wise, however, to ask for an extra shipment with all these new children." The older, stern German nodded. His head turned the Lithuanian to continue.

"Toris? How were the check ups?" The brown haired male smiled lightly before speaking.

"All the children are doing just fine. The most physical damage we've seen were simply some bruises here and there. Though... With Alfred and Yao's retrieval all of our supplies took a _sharp_ drop." Julius gave a silent nod in confirmation. While he wanted to rush across camp to see the once lost members, he still had a job to uphold. Just simply from what he was being told, it sounded like they were in _awful_ conditions.

" _Und_ Elizabeta, how has training been coming along?" Helmut continued to question their sub-leaders, as Julius seemed too involved in the thought o the two teens to continue speaking.

"Most of the new children have been coming along nicely. The communication with their second soul is running smoothly, as per usual. As for the older kids, their training is almost complete and will be ready to finally mold into our community within the next couple of days."

" _Gut_." Helmut nodded. The German's head turned towards the Italian, seeing his eyes stare off into space. Narrowing his eyes the blond elbowed the brown haired male, forced his head towards the attacker. Noticing the lack of communication he realized that they must had finished up while he daydreamed. That means it was his turn. Clearing his throat, the Italian began his chuck of explanation.

"Now, I guess, it's time for the news." Julius paused, making sure all eyes were upon him as he spoke. "As we all know, both Leon _and_ Erika have, thankfully, made it back safely. Which means we now have information that we've only ever _thought_ about having. Erika was able to get a hold of some paper copies of the information for us. However, Leon could _not_." All pairs of eyes fell on the said male. In his fingers rested a small rectangular device, that looked to be just a bit smaller than his thumb. "Leon was only about to retrieved digital information. The plus side to this is that he managed to obtain a loud of information. But the down side comes in the form of retrieving that information. We don't have _any_ sort of technology in our community, as you all know."

"Which is why we have decided to create a new field; the Technology Field" Helmut continued on. Most pairs of eyes in the tent widened in a mixture of shock and confusion. "Members of this field will be responsible for not only reading up and researching currently technology we will now be receiving from our suppliers, but also building and completing a computer that can read Leon's device."

"Leon has already offered his support, already knowing technology from working under the organization. Erika, we were hope you would join as well?" Julius questioned the female, turning towards where she stood. All eyes fell upon Erika as her body froze. While she _did_ sit at a computer everyday in that place, there were so many advanced parts. She barely knew what she was even _doing_ when she worked. But... It wouldn't be incorrect to say that she knew much more than the people around her.

The Liechtensteiner took a large, silent breath before slowly exhaling. And, with that breath, a simple nod of the head could be seen. "I'll... do it." She spoke softly, almost as if she was nervous to be taking upon such an important role.

"Good." Julius spoke quietly, looking upon the female with a soft look. "We will work on building up a solid team soon enough. As for supply runs, like we mentioned earlier, we will now be asking for any technology for us to work with. So, Jett, you and Toby will have to make sure that those parts don't get too damaged." The Australian male nodded sternly, already ready to begin the runs once more. However, one wasn't so eager to jump into this new change.

"Do we plan on having these two teach us? I _highly_ doubt they know _everything_ we need to know." The Austrian spoke up, dragging everyone's attention over to him. The was a hushed murmur between everyone as they began quietly agreeing with the male.

"While I know, like, a bit more than Erika does on this topic, Roderich is right." Leon finally spoke up, pulling the two leaders' attention over to him. "I don't know everything, let alone how to build us a computer." The short, brown haired male crossed his arms as his body rested against the table. The room fell eerily silent as the two leaders tried to think of something.

"Why don't we ask our suppliers...?" The quiet voice of the Asian female spoke up, pulling all attention over to her. You know... Now that the group began thinking, it wasn't a bad idea at all... They were from the outside and knew quite a bit. They could actually help.

"I don't like that." All heads turned towards Vash, his arms resting across his chest. "What would happen if we were to be found out? What would happen to us? What would happen to all the children?" Everyone froze in their thoughts as the Swiss' words rang through their ears. A small smile rested upon the stern German's face, glad someone _level-headed_ was finally speaking up.

"Why on Earth would our camp be discovered?" A strong female voice broke through, harshly criticizing the man's views. All heads shot towards the voice to find it belonged to none other than Elizabeta. Of course. The Hungarian had a strong opinion and wasn't afraid to speak up. Maybe this was going to be harder for Helmut than he realized. "Our supplies have come from the same company for _years_! They haven't given us away before, why would they do it now?"

"Because, all we've ever done is ask for _supplies_. Now, we're planning on asking for actual, physical _help_. Do you not see how that could be a problem?" Vash growled back, ready to argue against the female. Elizabeta blinked as the growl, not expecting the man to take such a firm stand. However, that wasn't going to stop her.

"Think about the possibilities. Think of all the things that would benefit us by getting this information" Elizabeta explained, continuing to fight back. "Think of all the information we could use against this company! All this information to help us _fight_ back and _rescue_ all these children! Do you no longer care what happens to the children in those places? Because I know for God damn well you remember _exactly_ what happened that night!" Some of the group member's eyes widened while some stood in confusion. Vash however... Vash growled in anger as his eyes narrowed.

"Elizabeta!" The Austrian gasped, rushing over to the long haired female. This could start a fight. This _would_ start a fight. A brutal, fist-to-fist brawl that would leave _both_ ends laying in the medical tent for _days_ on end. This needed to stop. _Now_. Roderich latched onto the female's arm, trying to pull her away from taking that first step into the fight.

"We agreed to _never_ bright that up! _Never_!" The Swiss took step towards the female, ready to counter any attack she threw at him. Toris took the place of the smaller Liechtensteiner as she stepped back in fear, her arms wrapping around the papers that continued to rest in her arms. The Lithuanian grabbed onto the Swiss man, trying to pull him back from attacking the Hungarian.

"You needed to hear it! To hear it again and again! Do you not _care_ what will happen to all those children who, when put in that _exact_ situation, will make that _same_ mistake?!"

"I'm trying to keep this place safe! That is my _top_ priority! If we get caught, all of this is gone! Gone in the blink of an eye! Everything we have ever _worked_ for! _Gone!_ This is the only home we have left in this world, yet your ready to just throw it all away from something this _stupid_!" The two continued to yell, back and forth, both wanting the last word in this argument. Toris and Roderich yanked and pulled, slowly dragging the struggling Europeans farther and farther away. But, that didn't stop their increasing need to get at each other's throats.

Quickly, the two leaders were forced to take a stand, to try to get the two to calm down. Julius moved in front of the female and tried to calm her down using his words, hoping that blocking her view from the man would calm her down. Helmut, however, took a _drastically_ different approach. Helmut moved up to the young adult, staring down at him with bland eyes. Noticing him near, Vash glanced up at him. His eyes narrowed and took a stance that said he was ready to attack. However, Hemlut simply slipped his hands under the male's arms, picking him up high in the air.

"What the?!" Vash's harsh stance quickly fell as he was taken by surprise. All eyes fell upon the two from the sudden shout only to grow wide. And of course, without any sort of before hand warning, Helmut simply released the man from his grip, dropping him back down to the ground. The Swiss was unable to catch himself from the sudden action, having the fall drop him straight onto his bottom.

"Relax." The German's simple tone caused the group around him to freeze. They were used to his harsh yelling and firm words. But, as soon as his tone grew calm that's when everyone knew he wasn't playing around any longer.

Elizabeta's eyes glanced past the large man, wanting to see the man who she was previously yelling with. Upon seeing him, however, her eyes widened. Vash's eyes were wide and his body was shaking. It was as if he was sacred for his life. All anger fell away from her thoughts, only to be replaced with fear. What was Helmut going to do to him? What was he going to do to Vash? However, her questions were answered unexpectedly as the tall German simply walked away. The group stood in confusion, unknown on what just happened.

Erika was quickly to drop her papers and run straight over to her 'brother'. She quickly dropped to her knees to make sure that he was alright. It took the man a minute to respond, to gather himself from what just happened. Upon doing so, the first thing he came eye to eye with was Erika's concerned face.

"I-I'm alright, really Erika." The man tried to give the female some sort of reassurance. The only reason that it worked was because there was a visible lack of shakiness with in the Swiss, as he had moments before. Releasing a light sight, Erika pulled away from her 'brother' before helping him stand once more. His eyes instantly fell upon the Hungarian once more. He was surprised to see concern upon her face as well, but quickly brushed it away as his eyes fell to the ground. "I just don't like this idea. Not one single bit." Vash spoke softly.

To the Swiss' surprise the feel of a small hand was placed upon his arm. Turning his head, Vash wasn't surprised upon seeing it was none other than Erika. "It will be okay." The Liechtensteiner gave him a soft smile. Vash's eyes refused to move from the female, thoughts racing through his mind. He was so scared of what might happen, but because he was scared he was halting their own progression. But, was it really a good idea...? Was this whole proposal a good idea...? Slowly, the Swiss' shoulders fell pulling wide eyes among the group.

"We will be careful, I promise Vash." All eyes were pulled over the tall Italian as he moved towards the pair. "This camp means a lot to everybody here. We will never throw it away. But for now," Julius' turned his eyes towards Erika, getting her to blink. Instantly, she realized what the Italian was asking. Quickly, Erika grabbed her stack of papers from the ground and walked them over to the table. All group leaders gathered around the table to listen in.

"My headquarters had a lot of information, however not as much as Leon had." She began separating the papers into separate piles. "I have the records of every single children in every single building, including any information that was given to my section." Erika's eyes rose up to the group, making eye contact with most of the listeners. "All children, whether new or old, are marked with a status; Alive, Passed, Allied, Transferred, or Missing. I also have the exact numbers on both how many children and how many workers are in each building. Anything you want, I have. Obviously Leon's information will be going into much more detail, so if we want more, we will have to wait." All eyes turned to fall upon Leon, only to pull a simple nod from the man. "However," The smaller girl spoke up once more, pulling the attention back over to her to listen in. "What I think the most important information that we now have, are addresses." Quickly, the all eyes in the group widened, all with the same thoughts racing through their minds. Addresses... Does that mean they could all...?

"We could all go back home...?" Out of everyone, Mei was the one to speak up and ask the question. Home... Their old lives... It almost seems too good to be true... Of course, that was only for the kids with parents that still cared. What good was going home if they were given away to begin with?

Erika turned towards the other female in the room with a light smile. All she had to do was give a simple nod for eyes across the room to light up. Of course, those who held bad memories of their parents simply looked rather sad. While they themselves would love to go back home, how would their parents react...? Noticing the gloom look upon some of the faces, Erika quickly moved on with another important piece of information. She quickly turned to the two leaders of the group, catching their eyes.

"Before I left I also took a bit of a look into some of the data and I learned that almost every single camp resident here is deemed as missing, not dead." Julius blinked, yet Helmut narrowed his eyes. He had a guess on what that meant. A pretty _solid_ guess.

"That just means they still have their eyes pealed, don't they? They're actually looking for us." All eyes turned to Helmut as he spoke. He was upset, yet not surprised. In a world where society rules that anyone with a dark aura was dangerous, if word got out that members of that group were escaping from their 'home' panic were to run amok. They had to find the runaway auras. Simply forgetting about them would simply be disastrous. All Erika did was nod. Quickly, the young adults grew worried. It was always a worry that the company would somehow find them, but now that it was evident that they actually _are_ looking for them, they could be discovered any minute.

Realizing that the panic started to rise the German leader quickly spoke again, trying to lower everyone's nerves by taking their mind off the topic. "Good work, Erika." The Liechtensteiner blinked as everyone turned towards Helmut. It actually took her by surprise to receive such a compliment from the stern German. However, she simply looked up at him with a soft smile. Trying to not allow the worry to rise once again, Julius' hands were edger to grab onto a stack, wanting to actually take a look at one to read. Erika simply smiled pushed over one of the smaller stacks, trying to make it a bit easier on the man. Giving her a light 'thank you' the Italian leader quickly got to reading.

At the top of the long sheet of paper listed, simply, the building's name and it's location; Delta and far off from their current camp. At first glance, it looked like the building hasn't had much of an increase of children since they went on a rescue mission, to that building, _years_ back. So, that was a good sign. Glancing back up on the table, Julius' eyes jumped from stack to stack. There were about 12 separate stacks of papers. 12 different buildings. 12 different locations. All scattered across the world. So many places they couldn't get to. So many children they couldn't save.

Julius slowly set down the paper back upon the stack before glancing back up. His eyes slowly moved towards the group that had arrived late to the meeting. Instantly, the reason why they were late flooded the Italian's mind. Now, the concern grew. "While we now have some information here and there, once we get a computer up and running we will have more." All eyes turned towards Julius as he began speaking. "For now, you are all dismissed. _Grazie_ for your reports." Everyone simply nodded and began to slowly filed out of the room. That is, everyone except Vash, Erika, Toris, and Leon.

"You want to see them, don't you?" Toris quietly questioned. The two adult nodded quickly, one more worried than the other. Turning towards the door, the group quickly left the meeting area only to briskly make their way over to the lonely medic tent. However, as soon as the small group entered the tent many pairs of eyes laid upon them. And, with no surprise, they belonged to none other than the small group that belonged with Alfred and Yao.

"What the fuck took you so long?!" Lovino yelled first. And, with that, brought along a dark storm of loud questions.

"Will they be alright?"  
"Why do they look like that?"  
"When did they get back?"  
"Why weren't we told?"

Too many questions. Too many un _answered_ questions. The two leaders had yet to even _see_ the two camp members before being blasted with a barrage. Thankfully, before anymore questions could get out, Helmut spoke sharp and stern.

"No question. Let us look first." There was a prominent growl within his voice, pulling everyone's lips shut. The tent quickly fell silent, pulling an approving nod from the older German. " _Gut_." Turning his eyes towards the table, the once large group backed away to let the two adults move up. However, as soon as their eyes fell upon the two bodies, the leaders froze. Froze in both fear, surprise, and shock. They were taken aback by their wounds, yes, however that wasn't the main problem. No. The problem was that they looked _different_. So different, in fact, that they almost didn't seem recognizable.

Julius was the first to move, slowly walking over towards Alfred. Raising his hand, his fingers brushed through the now dark hair. It was hard, as, most likely, some blood had gotten into it and hadn't been washed out yet. His eyes trailed over to the Chinese laying upon the bed next to him. He looked just as bad; damaged and unrecognizable.

"What happened?" He quietly questioned. His head slowly rose, his eyes falling up Erika. All eyes slowly fell upon the shorter female, wanting an answer just as much as Julius wanted one. And, who could blame them? Two members of their group, a group that has been together since they day they met in that facility, had been found to be just barely alive.

"They saved me." That all the female had to say to answer the question, however that wasn't stopping her from continuing. They wanted to know how. They wanted to know why. They wanted _details_. "They ran into the building when I didn't walk out. However, once we were out we were stopped. Stopped by my watcher..." Erika paused, the memories playing like a movie through her brain. "They stood their group and protected me. They won, but not without hard damages..." Her eyes fell upon the two males, her heart falling at seeing their state. No matter how many times she looked at them, it still broke her spirit to see that both of them were like that because of _her_. "Both Alfred and Yao, they were both strong fighters. They were going to give it their all to protect me. But, there was no way they could rival my watcher's power. The reason he's a watcher is _because_ of his power and strength. The two had to... switch to even rival his strength."

Instantly, Julius and Helmut's eyes widened. There was two things wrong with this. Two things wrong with what they just listened to. The reason the two males looked the way they did was because they switched. However, that was _days_ ago. Yet, they still hadn't switched back...? The second, and most concerning thing, had to be this watcher. This watcher seems made up. Like, something out of a child's thoughts. Helmut and Julius always took watchful eyes upon members of the camp that had power. Whether they find out through Elizabeta, an event, or just plain intuition. And, something that very few members of the camp knew about, was the power that Alfred and his group held. In training, those group members showed power that almost seemed unreal, even without having to convert over to their second soul. So, for this watcher to be so powerful that _two_ members of the group had to _switch,_ it seemed unreal.

"And, they haven't switched back yet...?" Julius asked first, wanting to get _one_ of the two questioned answer. And the first one, seemed like the easiest to answer. Erika slowly, and painfully, shook her head and all eyes fell.

"They've been like this ever since that battle."

"We closed as many wounds as we could." Toris spoke up, pulling all attention over towards the Lithuanian. "They were covered, head to toe, in cuts, bruises, and blood."

"It was an _awful_ fight." Erika's head fell, her hands resting upon the table. Her nails began digging into the surface just thinking about that fight.

"When they entered the camp, they simply collapsed. I had to have some men carry them in here." Vash commented, trying to get this topic done and over with.

"I would have never guessed they had someone that strong..." Julius spoke under his breath.

"He's not the only one." All eyes widened as they fell upon Leon, not used to such a voice. The man remained silent as he made his way to stand next to Yao's body. His eyes scanned the man, looking at the damages before speaking once more. "10 years ago they started training their most powerful members into soldiers. They can take a lot and deal a lot. They're something you never want to, like, go up against. Any and all information on that should be on the drive. However, the one thing that you, like, _need_ to know, is that these soldiers are rare. Many factors go into building these soldiers and many don't make it out." The group fell silent. Many couldn't tell whether to feel terrified, worried, sad, or all three. There was now a new threat upon the playing field, yet this threat was the outcome of many lost lived. Lost lives of children...

Scanning the now emotional group, Leon's eyes slowly fell back upon Yao. His fingers slowly rose up to his hair, taking it between his fingers lightly and feeling the one soft spot that his blood had seem to forget about. To him, it felt familiar. Familiar in both a good yet bad way. Quietly, Leon began speaking. "He looks a lot like... _him_ , doesn't he?" Everyone blinked, not understanding that the question was meant for Erika. The female blinked, looking down at the Chinese man. Slowly, the female nodded, coming back eye to eye with Leon.

"I noticed that too. Yao arrived a bit later than Alfred had, so when he came running at Alfred and I, I thought it _was_ him. I thought I was going to die right then and there." The group glanced at one another, confused upon the two's conversation. While the two knew who they were talking about, the rest were left in confusion. Wanting more answer, Helmut was quick to speak up once again.

"How are they from when they arrived?" Francis stepped forward to answer that question.

"They're doing a lot better." He gave off a soft smile, trying to lighten the mood just a bit. "Their breathing has steadied and, thankfully, are not bleeding as much anymore." Helmut nodded, glad for their improvement. He turned back to the group, who were, still, eagerly waited for some answers. Answers on _anything._

"Will this effect them? Hurt them in anyway?" Arthur was the first to ask, seemingly wanting more answers than anyone else. Eyes landed back up the two leaders. Julius was the one to take upon the responsibility of answering the questions that was only sure to grow.

"A switch is very... sporadic." Julius eyed the group before continuing. "It can be at any allowed moment and can last a long time. If they haven't switched back in their walk over there must be something going on in the host's brain. Something that we can only know once they awake."

"How long would that be...?" Feliciano quietly asked. Julius quickly turned to look into his grandson's eyes, before freezing. The younger Italian's eyes were filled. Filled to the brim with what seemed like worry, concern, and sadness. It pained him to answer, but he had to. All eyes were upon him, all waiting for an answer. All wanting to know if their friends were going to be alright. However...

"I... I don't know..."

* * *

 **~German~  
 _Und-_ And  
 _Gut_ -Good**

 **~Italian~  
 _Grazie_ -Thank you  
**

* * *

 **Damn, been a while, hasn't it? I got caught up with so much that I just had _NO_ time to work on _anything_. Along the way, however, I had so many ideas and so many inspirational moments I hope to pump out many chapters quickly. that is, if I don't get caught up in life. You know how that goes. *shrugs*  
Anyway, ****I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for following and adding this story to your favorites. It means a lot! Reviews are always appreciated, of course~  
** **If I've made any grammar/spelling mistakes, or if you speak a language that was used and I have made a translation mistake, please inform me and I will fix it as soon as possible.  
** **Until next chapter, Happy Reading~**


	20. Chapter 20

The approaching days were rather slow compared to the rushed and hectic past couple of days. Besides from the stack of names Erika had brought in, the camp has received no new _usable_ information, as they still did not have a method for obtaining Leon's data. Not only were they at a stand still for information, they still had to deal with the current problem that rested within the medic tent, as two of their top ranking individuals still have yet to awaken. Still, on top of everything, they still have yet to receive any word for their outside suppliers on whether or not they would be okay with helping them with their information problem. Erika's papers were basically a dead end and Leon wasn't having much luck on remembering what he had placed on the flash drive. The camp was at a stalemate on what to do next.

Vash was one of the strictest members in the camp. He made sure everyone was following the rules and made sure nothing was going wrong. Because of how watchful he was, the Swiss man was given the leadership role of multiple jobs across the camp. Not only was he the caretaker of the supplies, he also gave specific training to children who were interested. And now, he was the leader of a new branch, taking over as his main job from counting supplies. That job was handed to someone else of equal trust.

Not long ago it was decided that there would be another branch along side the creation of the Technology branch. This branch came to be known as the Watchers. The Watchers were in charge of camping out around the elevated rocky terrain that concealed the Dark Aura's hideout, to be on the lookout for any specious activity that could become harmful to their well-being.

"Sir, something's coming over the horizon." Vash's head quickly shot up from examining his gun, blinking in a mix of shock and confusion. He didn't actually think there would be a single sighting ever as they were out in the middle of nowhere. The man who had spoken handed the Swiss man a small, telescope, which he promptly swiped away. Slowly raising his body, so his position wouldn't be given away, Vash pulled the scope up to his eye and looked out. It was rather hard to see too far out, as the weather around them was in a downpour. While everyone upon the rocks had draped ponchos upon their bodies and set up some tarps here and there to keep their supplies dry, the camp itself was having a rather rough time. Since their base was surrounded by the large, rocky terrain, once water got in, it was difficult to get out. They had built canal-like-paths to try to drain some of the water out, but no matter how many they dug or how deep they made the paths, water still ended up flooding some of the lower-leveled parts.

Pushing through the rain, Vash's eyes finally landed upon an approaching figure off in the distance, however, they were getting rather close. The closer and closer they got the more he could see. And, he was rather surprised. The blob of a figure began to take shape into three distinct people. Behind them, each individual was dragging what seemed like a train of multiple wagons. Upon the wagons were large blue tarps, tied down to keep whatever was inside from becoming drenched with water.

"Cover!" He yelled quickly, lowering his own position a bit to stay behind an elevated rock. All men within the field quickly fell into their designated cover location so there was no fight over who hides where. It was a rather quick and efficient method if Vash did say so himself. His attention fell back upon the approaching group, keeping out the telescope to get a better look through the rain. Just like with trying to make out the figure, the heavy rain made it rather difficult to see their aura color. The only, and most important detail, Vash could tell, was that none of them were surrounded by a dark aura. The group on the rocks all watched from above, eyeing their every moment.

Were they a friend or an _enemy_?

The closer they got the easier it became to see them. However, it was rather difficult to tell the gender of each individually, as all three wore simple ponchos to protect themselves from the rain. None of them _looked_ to have weapons on them, however any could easily be hidden beneath the rain protector. They just continued to direct their attention low, refusing to look up at the mountain. The closer they got, the more antsy the Watchers became; the group had yet to show any signs of whether they were for or against them. At any moment, there could be a shoot out.

After a second or so, allowing the group to move just a bit closer, Vash slowly rose his arm. In response, the men up upon the mountain slowly pulled out their specific long ranged weapons and lined them up towards the three. One single command is all it would take for those three to no longer be. With narrowed eyes, Vash slipped the gun off his back before positioning it in the support of his shoulder and aiming it down upon the approaching group. However, within seconds of Vash giving the command, the group of three had come to a halt. Vash blinked, pulling his face away from the scope as the tallest person within the group finally rose his head, looking up at the rocks where the Watchers all rested. It almost felt as if that person was staring directly _at_ him. Like he _knew_ they were up upon the rocks, watching.

"Hi!~" The group up upon the rocks froze as a feminine voice was shouted from below. It was faint, yet loud enough for them to hear. The person standing in the middle took a step forwards, waving her arm high in the air. It was as if they _knew_. "We mean you no harm!"

The group sat in shock, waiting and wondering what exactly they should be doing. Shoot or begin talking? However, the Watchers were taken back as Vash rose to be seen, his gun still aimed at the group. His eye rested within the scope, wanting to be prepared, yet also get a better look. Harshly, he shouted back down upon the group. "Who are you?!" The female acted surprised to actually receive a response so quickly. However, the man to her left took a step forwards, pulling Vash's attention over to him.

"Do not worry!" The man began to shout up at him. "We received your message about building a machine!" Vash's eyes quickly widened, his gun lowering for just a second. The message... Was this... Was this from their _suppliers_? If so, why personally deliver it? Why not ship it out just like everything else...? Quickly re-raising his gun, Vash began to push his questions.

"What's in the wagons?"

"Your parts!" The female shouted back up.

"Any weapons on you?!"

"No, sir!" Vash stood still, thinking. Looking. Like he had stated before, they didn't _seem_ to have any weapons upon them. However... this was all so sketchy... He was putting the whole camp at risk by letting them in. But, if they _were_ their supplies then...

Lowering his gun Vash turned towards the two men closest to him. He gave a quick signal, allowing the three to enter. All the Watchers stood in confusion and shock. However, the two nodded and began their descent down the front end of the mountain. He gave the rest of the group a command to stay alert before throwing his gun back upon his back. Quickly, Vash began his own descent down the front of the rocky wall. He was the leader of the Watchers. He wasn't going to just stand back and watch. No. If he put men forth, he went along with. No matter what.

Vash carefully, but quickly, approached the three as the two camp members made their way towards the wagons to check their contents. They simply stood still and waited, knowing something like this was bound to happen at some point. The simple ponchos Vash had looked at before turned out to be very nice looking, and neatly kept, jackets with large hoods upon the individuals heads, preventing the rain from soaking them. The two members came running back towards him, giving him a conformation that under each wagon were parts; no weapons were seen. They were telling the truth.

Eyeing the group once more Vash turned his back upon the three before walking. "Follow me." The three glanced at one another before following, hoping to get out of this heavy rain. It was actually quite rare to rain at the camp. The surrounding area made it seem like they had resided out in the middle of a desert. So, when it rained, it rained _hard_.

Walking with the group, the Swiss led them through the small tunnel through the rocks and made their way into the camp. Vash could tell the three were surprised upon entering, stumbling a bit as they finally made it through. They were surprised by the size of the camp and the _population_. To them, there were so many dark aura people; more then they could ever imagine. Since when was it so high of a number...?

As Vash led the group of three through the camp, all eyes were upon them. Watching them, studying them. This was the first time, since the opening of the camp, that they were allowing outsiders in. The three looked upon the people, confused. The camp members all seemed so scared, worried, nervous... All wondering what these outsiders would do. Adults pulled children close and some members ran around corners, away from the three of them. Some of them, the more older ones, seem to look upon them with hate and disgust. Like, they had done something to harm them. This only made the three question what exactly was going on when these children were taken.

The Swiss man led the three over to the largest tent within the camp, the meeting tent. Entering first, Vash held up the curtain to allow the three to enter easily, only to quickly drop it to keep outsider's eyes from looking in. Turning back towards the main area, all eyes were upon them in a mix of both confusion and fear. Standing at the table, all in a circle with piles of papers laying about, was Julius and Helmut, Erika, and Leon.

"These are our parts." Vash spoke up, realizing that no one was. Pulling down his hood, the blond haired male shook off the water that had snuck under and onto his hair and face. Julius' eyes quickly widened. Pulling himself away from the table, he welcomed the three to walk farther in, which they took.

Pulling the final wagon in from the rain, the three dropped the handles to the ground, glad to finally drop them from the long walk. One by one, the group removed their water-proof jackets, draping them over their arms to relax. Finally, the three rose their head to meet eye to eye with the Italian man, allowing everyone to see their appearance.

The first man, the one in the middle, was the tallest. His spiked blond hair had fallen slightly from the rain and hood, prompting him to reach up and comb it back up, to the best of his ability, with his fingers. The second was the shortest and happened to be a female with slightly curly, dirty blonde hair, which was being kept back with a red ribbon acting as a headband. The final character was a man, just as the first, however with short, _light_ blond hair with pieces that had been pulled forward to cover up his right eye. By the looks of it, they weren't all that threatening, however, every member of the camp knew all too well that looks were rather deceiving. The spiked haired man took a step forwards, reaching out his hand. Julius quickly meet with a smile upon his face.

"The name's Tim. This is Emma and Louis."

"Julius. That man, over these, is Helmut." Julius turned to indicate said male, who simply stared at the three, watching them. "You already met Vash, he led you here. I hope he wasn't to harsh." His eyes turned towards the Swiss man. He nodded before making his way over towards the table. "And, the remaining two are Erika and Leon." Erika gave a soft smile towards the group, in which Emma quickly responded with one back. Leon glanced up upon hearing his name, however promptly lowered his head once again to continue reading. Turning back to the three, Julius continued to speak. "I'm glad you all got our message. To make such a personal delivery none the less... Does that mean you'll be _helping_ us building the computer?"

"Why else would we be here?" Emma responded happily, causing all the members within the tent to dawn wide eyes.

"We brought as much as we could." Louis began, pulling eyes over to him. "Now and days, computers become outdated at the snap of a finger. Many of the set we brought will be almost brand new, especially to you all. So, they will be easy to work with."

"This should only take about 3-4 weeks to build. Then, we'll leave you all be." Tim explained sharply and quickly. Eyeing the wagons behind the three, Julius' eyes lit up with joy.

"Thank you all so much!" Julius' smile was wide, showing off his happiness like a beacon. "Once this is all over please send our regards to the man in charge of everything. He's helped us out so much over the years." The group of three took a glance at one another before the female in the group let out a small giggle. The small group of camp members looked at her in confusion. It was such an odd reaction... Was it something Julius had said?

"What's so funny?" Vash took a step forward to ask the question.

"Send your regards? Why don't you just say them now?" Emma explained very vaguely, causing the camp members to blink in confusion. With a smile upon his face, Louis took a step forward to explain the female's words.

"Tim, here, is now the man in charge. He's the one who supplies your camp." Eyes quickly went wide. The man who is responsible for keeping them all alive was right in front of them...

"Would you look at that." Leon spoke softly, just barely reaching the ears of the three across the room. Julius quickly began to stumble over his words, unknown what exactly to say.

" _G-Grazie!_ Thank you! F-For everything you do for us! Really!" All Tim did was simply nod in response.

"It doesn't cost me anything, which is what I care about." All eyes were upon three with disbelief. These three... These three were the ones that help them. These three were, single handily, kept the _entire_ camp alive. These three were... they were the reason children can be _saved_.

Quickly, the group of three began their work. Boxes and parts were unloaded from the wagons they'd been dragging along and placed onto the ground. Each part was laid out into individual groups so the three could explain what they were and what they did, simply for future reference. It was only then, did the three began to build. The process was rather slow, taking a couple of days simply to get the monitor built. Of course, even though they had complete sets, having to put together a computer, that was to run off of a generator of sorts, basically from _scratch_ , wasn't going to be built over night.

As the two leaders watched it was becoming apparent how naturally this all came to the three. The way they worked with one another was like the gear work within a grandfather clock. The way they moved prevented one from hitting each other, however, it was quick and rapid. The three were constantly moving, constantly grabbing parts and tools, constantly speaking to another another with brief words. It was almost as if they grew up together, and lived with one another, their whole life. They just worked so perfectly together even if their colors said otherwise.

Once the three began work on building the main console of the computer, that's when the help was brought in. A couple hands were pulled from the camp to help, however most of the work was still done by the outsiders. Though, it would be wrong to say they didn't enjoying the help. It would be better if someone _at_ the camp could understand the workings of a computer, then having to come all the way back if something small broke. Those couple of hands belonged to none other than Ludwig, Gilbert, Arthur, and Leon. The two German brothers had shown, over the years, their handiness when if came to fixing things, so teaching them to build and fix the computer was perfect. Arthur was a rather smart young adult, and was an amazing problem solver when he was with ones he could tolerate. However, he was more fascinated with learning about the three and the outside world. Leon was an easy pick, with no question. He had worked for the enemy for a good chunk of his life. He actual _knew_ how to work a computer. He, along with Erika, would be the ones to actually work the computer and do all the research needed.

The longer the three stayed the quicker the people of the camp grew to enjoy the interactions they had with the outsiders. Before now, most, if any, had never seen a 'normal' person since they were taken from their homes. And, for many, that was many decades ago. It was, nice to say the least. Within a couple of days the heavy rain fall slowly came to a halt and the ever so prominent sun shined through once more. And, with the way auras work, the brighter the sun, the more prominent the color was.

While the three were able to see a huge handful of dark auras upon entering the camp, with the shinning sun and the more comfortable they all grew with one another, it was now clear that the _entire_ camp was made up of dark auras; not a single other color was present. They figured it was this way, however, seeing it with their _own_ eyes, it was a completely _different_ story. Of course, that wasn't the only odd thing about these three outsiders joining the camp for the time being. What actually surprised the _members_ of the camp was the fact that these three weren't all the same color. They all dawned their own, individual colors proudly; _Blue, Green, and Orange_.

* * *

"So, why is it that you three have different colors?" Arthur questioned, his hands fiddling with a component of the computer he was given to work on. Quickly, and surprisingly, Leon jumped into the conversation before any of the three could answer.

"Shouldn't you all be, like, separated or something?" One by one the entire group slowly came to a halt with what they were doing, wanting to listen in on the explanation that was about to be given. The outsiders glanced at one another, a slight bit of confusion upon their faces. Did they know? Were they never told? It seems like the information they know on the outside world is as equal to what a child is spoon fed about _dark auras_.

Louis was the first to react out of the three. Slowly, he pulled away from his work to turn his attention towards the group. He met eye to eye with everyone before speaking. "Not everybody enjoys separation, you know? Some of us aren't simply fed information from the government and swallow it whole."

"There are, actually, quite a few people like us." Emma butted in, furthering the explanation. "The people who don't think that way, like us, go out and build up secluded towns, hiding from most of the government's eyes. They know we're there, however, don't know what we're actually doing. One thing that we pride ourselves in, is how open we are. Many colors, across the spectrum, live with one another, in peace." There was a light smile had grown upon the female's face as she spoke.

"However," Tim spoke up, pulling all eyes over to him, "these towns are very small and are very scarce across the world."

"What about family's like us...?" Ludwig curiously questioned. "Have you seen any living on the outside?" The three paused, glancing at one another. Silently having their own conversation before Emma slowly opened her mouth to speak up.

"No... Those who manage to live outside the camps, like these, or the homes they're taken to never live very long..."

"Never past the age of 15, I'd say." Tim commented. The room drifted into silence. While Leon was quick back to work on the computer, just like the outsiders, the three other helpers simply stared at their piece. Thinking. Questioning. Dark Aura children who managed to escape being captured rarely live past 15... Why? Are they killed by the colors around them, or by their our means? If it was something else, then why were all these members within the camps, most well over 15, still alive? The more and more they thought about it, the more and more confused they became. The facility was the same way as the outside world. The oldest within those facilities were never passed the age of 15. Why is that? Do they know? What exactly was going on and why don't they know the answers to their own colors?

Their thoughts and questions were quickly interrupted, and the silence dissipated as the sound if rushing footsteps against the dirt and rocky ground caught their attention. All eyes turned towards the entrance, watching as the blond haired Pole flew through. With a quick stumble, Feliks caught himself before he could fall onto the ground. He wasn't terribly out of breath, however, he did still have to stop and relax a bit before he began speaking. The group stared at him, waiting, allowing him to breathe. After a minute or so, Feliks slowly rose. Taking a deep breath, he spoke quickly.

"It's Alfred and Yao. They're, like, awake." A second had yet to even pass as the three group members, Ludwig, Gilbert, and Arthur, dropped everything they were currently working on only to shove themselves up and rushed out of the tent. With a long groan of complaint from being forced to run once more, the Pole turned back towards the entrance only to begin his follow. The tent, yet again, was left in silence, as the three outsiders didn't understand what as gong on. They stared at one another for a moment, questioning. Eyes were dragged over to the only remaining camp member as Leon sighed. He set his piece down before rising and turning towards the three and speaking simply.

"Sorry about them. We'll, like, be back in a moment."

"That's okay." Emma gave the Asian a soft smile, causing him to blink. "It sounds like those two are close within the camp."

"We can continue by ourselves for a moment. It won't be too much of a problem." Louis spoke up after the female. Leon blinked at how calm they were over this, however, didn't question it. Slowly, the man made his way out of the tent and over towards the medical one as the three got back to work on the computer.

With great haste, Ludwig and his small group ran across the camp only to shove their way into the medic tent. However, their run came to a sudden halt as soon as their eyes laid upon the two males they had run to see. Like Feliks had said, they were awake; both currently sitting up on their 'beds'. However, what caused concern amongst the group was their outwards appearance. They didn't look like their normal selves at all.

"What the hell?" Gilbert questioned loudly, startling the group within the tent and redirecting all the attention over to them. There was no surprise to see all the members of their little group present. The small handful of extras camp members that were also present belonged simply to the medical field, all keeping their eyes upon the two males.

"That's what I thought." Lovino huffed as his arms crossed across his chest. The two men sitting on the table were, indeed, Alfred and Yao, however, they still looked the same as they did they day they arrived back to the camp. The soul showing its face was not that of their original soul. Taking control of both bodies, were their second souls. Just as when they were asleep, bandages littered both of their bodies, concealing a majority of their cuts and bruises from public eye.

"A-Alfred...?" Arthur questioned softly, his voice breaking the once silent air. In response to his name, the redheaded American turned towards the Englishman. As soon as the two met eye to eye, his face curved into a smile. He rose his hand, giving off a short wave of the hand.

"Yo." A simple and quick response was given, causing some members within the group to blink. That was his reply? They were used to Alfred using 'yo' as a hello every once an a while, however, it was the tone that threw the group off. Quick. Blunt. No enthusiasm.

"Are the two of you doing alright...?" Ludwig's voice questioned carefully. He had no idea what these two were like. He didn't want to start any fights if they were unnecessary.

"Yup. Don't worry 'bout us." Yao smiled, resting his body against his arm, which was placed upon his leg. Now _that_ was concerning. The _style_ in which the Chinese man now spoke was so lackluster compared to his normal speech patterns. While this Alfred didn't seem as different as the original, this Yao was almost like an opposite soul next to their Yao.

"Well, the good news is that they are no longer bleeding. Both of them are healing up relatively fast." Francis spoke up, hoping to relax some worried eyes within the tent.

"I would give them about a week or two before they'll be back to normal." Toris added on, his body relaxing against one of the free tables, thankful that the group was now present. He got to have a bit of a break from dealing with these two second souls. In his opinion, they were an absolute _pain_ to deal with.

"But, why do they _still_ look like that?" Antonio questioned. "Why haven't they changed back already?" The three medical members glanced at one another, hoping the other would have an answer. While they knew a lot, they had to admit that they had absolutely _no_ clue to why their Alfred and Yao were still away. Taking note that no one was speaking, Alfred took this opportunity to speak for himself.

"Don't want to." All eyes quickly fell back upon him in wide-eyed confusion They don't... want to...? "It's real nice being out and about in the real world." All eyes quickly grew even more worried. Where they being held back? Were these second soul preventing the original from coming back? Were they _ever_ going to come back? However, the mood quickly changed as Alfred spoke harshly against them. However, not in a normal way. " _Geez_ , ya'll can't take a joke." With a roll of his eyes, Alfred continued. "The host isn't feelin' too hot. They need more time to relax and heal up before we throw them back at cha'."

"What?" Feliciano questioned, his own eyes blinking in confusion.

"You were told what happened, weren't you?" Yao questioned, dumbfounded that this group seemed to be absolutely clueless on everything they were saying. "We took a lot of damage in our fight. But, most of that pain went to the host. That's how it _works_. _Your_ Alfred and Yao just need more time then we need. They're letting us stay out until then."

" _Idiotos_." Lovino hissed, rolling his eyes along with.

"Can they get up and leave the tent?" Gilbert turned towards the medics, questioning them. Toris and Feliks met eye to eye before turning back to the group to respond.

"Well... not _exactly_... As Yao explained, both of your friends received a lot of injuries. Most, of which, were pretty bad." Toris managed to explain before being cut off by the blond Pole next to him.

"It would be best if they, like, stayed in here to rest."

"Man, fuck that!" A shout from the rough American dragged all of the attention back over to the two switched souls. To their surprise, Alfred had already began lowering himself from the 'bed', pushing himself to stand.

" _Mon Dieu_ , Alfred! Relax!" Francis quickly rushed over, trying to quickly, yet gently, get him back up on the 'bed'.

"I ain't stayin' here and _waitin'_ for these damn things to heal! Fuck that!" Alfred began to fight against the Frenchman, making it rather rough to push him back.

"You're going to reopen your wounds again!" Toris quickly shouted. Alfred slowly came to a halt in his struggle, glancing up at the Lithuanian. The worry in the Lithuanian's eyes, surprisingly, caused the American to roll his own. His body relaxed as he let Francis help him, carefully, back up on the 'bed'. "Just give it a couple of days. You two can walk around then. But for now, just stay seated."

"That's bullshit." Alfred growled at the brown-haired male.

"No shit." Yao sighed with the roll of his eyes, adjusting himself to better hold his weight upon his arm.

"It's just a couple of days." Feliks tried to reason with the man.

"Whatever." Yao sighed simply. The small group eyed one another, all completely surprised by the two's words and actions. No one within the group had ever seen these two's other souls. So, everything they did and everything they said was a complete surprise. They were similar to the host soul, however still drastically different. The tent remind in silence, no one knowing what to say. Yes, they had questions, however it wasn't the right time to ask. Just as the silence was getting rather annoying, a loud shout echoed within their ears as the sound of running feet entered the tent.

"Alfred! Yao!" All heads turned towards the sound only to watch as a young girl rush up to the two bandaged boys and threw her body onto them. What surprised the group was that these two harsh individuals were quick to grab onto the female and pull her up onto the table. She quickly adjusted herself to warp her arms around them, as they were happy to give a hug back. A loud sigh suddenly reached the ears of the tent members as a male entered and made his way up to the female. The Swiss kept his eyes narrowed as his hand gripped into the strap that held his gun to his back. Just in case something were to happen, he was ready.

"Glad to see you're safe." Alfred smiled down up the female as she pulled out of the hug to look at them.

"Me? What about you?!" Erika was quick to complain, her eyes quickly jumping from one pair of red eyes to another. "You two have been asleep for _weeks_!"

"We're fine. Don't you worry about it." Yao smiled back at the female. The Liechtensteiner sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get them to change their minds. However, they will know that she cares. Slowly sliding back down to the ground, Erika turned back to the group only to blink in surprised upon seeing the look of confusion upon every member's face.

"What seems to be the problem?" She questioned softly, her voice drastically different compared to the switch souls.

"You are rather... _comfortable_ around the two of them." Arthur spoke, eyeing the two males once more. The two met eye to eye with the Englishman, with either smiles or smirks upon their faces. He couldn't exactly tell which was which with them.

"Why wouldn't I be? They protected me. You do not know how worried I was..." Erika glanced back at the two, eyeing all their bandages. Her face slowly fell at seeing how badly they were hurt once again. "They took so much damage for me. To protect me. I feel like I'm one to blame..."

"You're not, doll." Alfred spoke up, his voice much softer when talking with the smaller female.

"Yeah. Don't blame ya'self. The only person responsible for these is that _Lǘ_." Yao huffed, flinching as he moved the wrong muscle resulting in a pull at his cuts.

"Erika, you never fully explained who attacked you." Vash questioned. The female in question turned towards her 'brother' and blinked, realizing that she didn't exactly explain that part of the story too well. She turned her attention back to the group, taking note that they all wanted to know as well.

"I don't know him, that's for sure." Yao bluntly stated, along with a quick shrug.

"All I remember is that he had some long and wavy blond hair along with these _really_ purple eyes." Alfred spoke up after the Chinese man, giving his own input. "He was also one _hell_ of a fighter. Man, he cut us up real nice. I swear he had a fucking hockey stick or something."

"He beat you two up with a _hockey stick_?" Lovino's eyes slightly widened in disbelief. No. There was no _way_ these two were almost beaten down with a _sport's stick_. That was _ridiculous_! Alfred and Yao were _strong._ Everyone knew that. So, to hear that the man they were up against cut them up with a _stick_ meant one thing and one things only. This man was overpowered.

"That's pathetic!" However, Gilbert was quick to laugh at the two beaten souls. However, Alfred was quick to shout back at the German. His eyes narrowed as he yelled.

"You don't understand! It was modified, or something! It had, like, a blade or some shit at the end to cut us with!" Quickly, Gilbert's laughter froze once he realized what was being said. A blade? On the end of a hockey stick? What the _hell_? What kind of man was this?

" _Zut..._ What did you three get yourselves into?" Francis questioned.

"If I may." Erika's voice spoke up, wanting to continue on with the main question at hand. All eyes quickly turned towards her, eyes hungry for more answers. "I know this man, however, not his name. He was the supervisor, and watcher, of my assigned area. The way he acted during the fight is the way he acts all the time; rude, rough, tough. _However_ , many of the teens and adults that I used to work with like to believe that the one we see so commonly, is his _other self_." Quickly, everyone's eyes fell widen. His... other self...? That meant...

"They have... people like _us_ workin' for them...?" Alfred questioned softly. Erika turned to him and gave him a nod in response.

"Why? Why did they lock us away then?" Feliciano asked the female, however, Erika did not turn to the male. She could not answer. She _had_ no answer. She just _didn't_ know.

"Why do they think that's his other self? 'Cause he's _'scary'_ and likes to fight?" Yao huffed angerly, almost like he was taking offense to Erika's accusations. The Liechtensteiner gave him a soft smile, wanting to show him that she meant no harm.

"Simply because their way of transformation is very energy consuming to the body. Some people stand by their word that they've seen him change as he drifts off to sleep for the night. Some say they've even seen him interacting with some of the others higher ups as his original soul. He's nice and friendly, soft-spoken and looks like he could never hurt a fly." Alfred huffed with a roll of his eyes, not believing that such a guy was actually the one they fought. It was just too hard to believe.

"If you want proof, information like that will be on the flash drive I managed to snatch." All eyes turned to Leon, not realizing he was there. Man, was he a quiet soul? Yao eyes quickly fell upon the man, scanning him. The way he spoke and the outfit he wore... It was... _similar_ to his own, in a way he couldn't exactly explain.

"Okay, but how the hell are we supposed to get that shit?" Alfred questioned, dragging all attention back over to him.

"Julius and Helmut managed to get help from our suppliers." Ludwig explained simply, crossing his arms across his chest. "They're currently here and are going to help us build a computer so we can look at that information."

"Damn." Yao spoke in surprise. The word actually caught the group off guard, not used to the Chinese man speaking with such vocabulary. Taking this moment of silence, Vash quickly spoke up, wanting to finish this conversation up and take Erika back with him and away from the two switched souls. He didn't trust them, as he had yet to learn much about them. So, for now, he wanted Erika to stay away from them for as long as she could.

" _You_ 4 should get back to helping the suppliers. I doubt simply leaving everything up to those three will finish this thing quicker." The Swiss' comment was directed at the group that had rushed in later than the rest, getting them all to glance at once another.

"I guess..." Arthur sighed, lowering his shoulder slightly. It would be wrong to say that Arthur didn't want to stay and continue to speak with the two of them. While he didn't take _too_ much of a liking towards them, he still wanted to know _much more_ about these second souls. He was hoping they would have some sort of an answer.

"A couple days and they'll be allowed to move?" Gilbert questioned. He, himself, was rather curious about the two switched souls as well. He wanted to see what they could do and what what they were _capable_ of doing that their Alfred and Yao _couldn't_ do.

" _Tak._ " Feliks simply nodded.

"Only small, walking trips however. We don't want them overworking themselves _too_ much." Toris continued to explain.

"Good idea." Francis turned to his two medical partners, a smile upon his own face. He wanted what was best for his friends, whether they were the second soul or not.

"We should be getting back to work too, _amigos_." Antonio turned to the two Italian brothers, receiving a nod from the both of them.

"Don't die, got it?" Lovino pointed at the two roughly, his eyes narrowed to get his point across.

" _Eh_." Alfred shrugged, giving off a light smile to the Italian. Antonio sighed and pulled Lovino out of the tent before he could begin yelling at the America. Feliciano was quick to follow behind.

"We have work to do, _Schwester_. Come." Vash spoke up, grabbing onto Erika's attention. She glanced to the side, not wanting to leave the two. She wanted to be with them. To make sure they were going to be alright. Her attention was pulled back towards the two as Alfred placed his hand upon her shoulder.

"We'll be fine." He gave a light smile, showing that everything was going to be okay. That she didn't have to worry so much. Erika paused before giving a light smile back. She turned towards her 'brother' and rushed over before he ushered her out of the tent.

"Get some rest you two. You need it a lot more than you think you do." Francis spoke up as the medics were slowly trickling out of the room, himself included. They all needed a break, just like any normal job. And, that time was now. Especially from the struggle _these_ two brought about.

"Whatever you say." Alfred said, slowly lowering his body down to rest. While, it wasn't hurting too much, he could tell that laying down was better than sitting. Yao, however, didn't want to sleep. His eyes watched Francis leave the room only to slowly move them over towards the four remaining members within the tent. One by one, they began filing out of the tent, all needing to get back to their _own_ work. However, the Chinese man wanted one to stay.

"Hey, you." Yao spoke up just as Leon's grabbed onto the tent to leave. He paused for a second before turning towards the second soul. With an examining look in his eyes, the Chinese man waved him over. "Come here. I wanna to talk." Taking a glancing outside of the tent to see that his group had already begun making their way back, Leon sighed and dropped the cloth back down to reentered the tent. He made his way up to the Chinese man with a monotone expression upon his face.

"What?" It was a simple question from a simple man. Yao's eyes continued to scan the male, causing the Asian to question his intent.

"Where are you from?" Yao questioned, his eyes rising upon seeing Leon's body freeze. It took the Chinese man by surprise to read that it seemed to be a sensitive topic to him. Why is that?

"Why question it?"

"I was curious. I recognize your accent. Not to mention the way you dress and act." Taking a moment to glancing around, he seemed to be making sure no one else, besides Alfred, was here to listen in. When his search showed no one his eyes fell back upon the Chinese man only to close.

"So far, I have learned that you come from China. So, when were you taken?" Yao blinked as the man now seemed to be questioning _him._ But, none the less, he answered.

"I remember quite a lot from my first day out in the world, actually. So, we were about four or so when we were finally taken. Though... he lived in _Zhōngguó_ for, I wanna say about a year or two, at most. Most of his time was in _Rìběn_ of all places." Leon took this information in surprise. Why was Yao in Japan..? He would have to ask about that at a later date. Whenever the original soul takes back control. He would know much more than his second soul. Quickly, Leon got back on track as he finally answered the Chinese man's initial question.

"Then, you do not know much about your home society." Yao simply shook his head. With a deep breath, Leon spoke. "I come from a place known as _Hoeng Gong,_ Hong Kong. I was, like, born and raised there for my entire outside life. The reason we are so similar, and in the sense that you, like, recognize the way I act and speak, is because Hong Kong is an independent city in China." Yao blinked at this information. Really? He was from China too? Well, a place independent from China, but none the less. No wonder he seemed way too familiar... "Come find me after, like, this whole mess has been fixed. We can talk more about this then." And, with that, Leon quickly left the tent, actually wanting to get back to work. All that Yao was left to do was watch the man leave and think. What an interesting man... He'll pass the message to the host soul happily, wanting to know more himself.

Slowly, Yao laid his body down against the make shift beds. It wasn't comfortable, however, it was much better then resting upon the ground. Slowly, his eyes fell closed and, just like that, he was quick to doze off and sleep.

* * *

 **~Italian~  
 _Grazie_ -Thank you  
 _Idiotos-_ Idiots  
**

 **~French~  
 _Mon Dieu-_ My God  
 _Zut-_ Damn  
**

 **~Chinese~  
 _Lǘ-_ Jackass  
 _Zhōngguó-_ China  
 _Rìběn_ -Japan  
**

 **~Polish~  
 _Tak-_ Yes  
**

 **~Spanish~  
 _Amigos_ -Friends  
**

 **~Cantonese~  
 _Hoeng Gong-_ Hong Kong  
**

* * *

 **Next chapter is finally done. This one it rather long, sorry about that, however with the introduction of 3 new characters, it deserves to be a bit longer. Hopefully that isn't too much of a problem for you all.  
** **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for following and adding this story to your favorites. It means a lot! Reviews are always appreciated, of course~  
** **I probably made a _lot_ of mistakes, the Cantonese translations is my biggest concern. It was difficult to find a translation site so hopefully I got that right. If you see any grammar/spelling mistakes, or if you speak a language that was used and I have made a translation mistake, please let me and I will fix it as soon as possible.**

 **Until next chapter, Happy Reading~**


	21. Chapter 21

"That part goes here." Reaching over, the blond haired male carefully set his piece into the tiny hole present, pushing it in as far as it would go. Grabbing the screwdriver that was gifted to him by the man that spoke, he began drilling his part into the larger body to keep it in place.

"We finished setting up the generator." A German accent voice spoke up, pulling eyes to glance over as the two German brothers, and Louis, reentered the tent. Within the hands of the Albino rested multiple thick wires, seemingly stemming from the outside generator. Emma's eyes instantly lit up, rushing over to the incoming group. Gilbert quickly blinked as her hands latched onto his arm with a rather strong grip.

"Good! Connect those wires over here!" Emma yanked the German, dragging him over to her side of the computer. As soon as he caught his footing Gilbert followed the female's instructions, bending down to rest on one of his knees. Carefully pulling over the wires, along with the help of the female the two began plugging in all sorts of wires; thick and thin.

"Once the wires are in place, everything should be done." The rather monotone voice of Tim spoke up as his body slid out from behind the device. Taking a set back, Arthur allowed the man to come around to the front of the machine, Emma and Louis moving over to stand next to him. It was as if they were marveling over the machine that they made. But, who could blame them? Weeks of hard work and dedication was poured into this machine. And, it was finally done.

"And now for the final question; does it work?" Louis questioned with a smile upon his face as he walked up to the large metal device. The 3 rather clueless camp members blinked in worry. Does it work? There was a chance they did all of this for nothing?

Brushing his fingers across the panel, Louis slowly guided his digit to rest upon a small, little button. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the man slowly pushed his finger down. A low hum of the generator outside kicked on, causing some members within the tent to jump in surprise. Lights across the panel began to flicker before shining full, causing everyone's eyes to widen. I-It was working. It was actually working! Quickly, with a light buzz, the glassed monitor sparked before fully activating on. Upon the screen, a light blue bar faded in, starting up the computer.

"Ja! Ja! We did it!" With a wide smile upon her face, Emma jumped into Louis' arms, which he promptly wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling. However, he too was excited about the machine. And Tim? Tim held just a simple little smile upon his face.

The blue bar quickly filled as everything rapidly loaded in. Even for being powered off of a little generator, this machine ran fast. The three were, actually, relatively surprised at how quickly it was loading. Then again, it was so exciting to watch. Something they built from scratch finally worked.

The screen flickered a small moment before pulling a blank screen. Along the bottom, a black faded toolbar rested. Both bare to the bone. A blank computer with no way of ever being tracked. It was perfect.

Taking a glance at one another, Arthur, Gilbert, and Ludwig stared in confusion. This was… their computer…? Granted, they can't really remember what a computer is supposed to look like, but a simple bare screen? Is that what they look like now…?

"This computer is a complete blank slate. That will suffice, yes?" Tim glanced over at the group, pulling for a group of three stood in silence, glancing at one another in hopes that someone would know. If they said it was, what if it didn't work. If they say no, it would simply prolong their construction.

"This will work. I have everything else we need." The usually quiet voice of the fourth camp member finally spoke up, stepping his way passed the group and making his way up to the machine. His light brown eyes slid over the layout, trying to understand how it all works. The layout was rather simple and dulled down compared to what he was used to, however, it shouldn't be too hard to understand. Upon the panel, rested two separate 'screens'; one held a wide array of letters and numbers, while the other was a simple square. A keyboard and mouse. Thankfully, that was all Leon needed.

Slowly, his hand reached towards the smaller square screen. When his finger rested upon it, a mouse hovered on screen. When he moved his finger right, the cursor moved right. Thankful that, that was simple, his eyes turned towards the keyboard. This was the part that was relatively new to him. The model he was previously using must have been newer, as his keyboard was split, divided by a touchscreen. This one, however, was full. Both of his hands rested upon the keys, trying to get a feel of his hands being closer together. And, it wasn't as bad as he thought. His fingers lined up with the same keys and the letters were spaced apart in a way that he wouldn't be reaching across the screen.

A light smile grew upon his face.

"It works like I'm used to. I shouldn't, like, have a problem getting the information we need." His eyes slowly pulled away from the machine, his body turning towards the group of three that helped build the machine. Tim gave a firm nod, glad it was working properly. Though, he never doubted it wouldn't.

"I'll go ahead and let Julius and Helmut know." Arthur spoke up. Ludwig turned towards the Englishman, giving him a nod to allow him to exit the tent. While Arthur went to report the news to the camp leaders, Leon turned back towards the computer, his eyes instantly falling upon a small port. A port to fit his drive. Pulling the device from his pocket, he stared at it. All this information. Everything they will ever need for the rest of their time fighting off this organization. It was all stored in here. Millions of files, stored within one small device. No matter what he saw. No matter what he had to do. No matter what he didn't do. Everything that happened within that organization while he resided there… It was all going to be worth it.

It didn't take long for the two leaders to walk into the tent, a wide smile placed upon the Italian's face. While the group was lead by Arthur, another body decided to add herself to the group as they walked; Erika. Of course, the adults didn't object. If they were finally going to open up this device, they needed as much help explaining everything as they could. She and Leon were the only two who could understand this stuff.

When the two walked in their eyes instantly fell upon the machine, eyes blinking in surprise. Just like the four camp members that helped out with the building, they were not used to seeing one. Quickly, Julius turned to the three outsiders with a large smile upon his face.

"Grazie, thank you so much. This means so much to us. You've all done so much for us, both in and outside of our camp. Without your support, not child could be saved." The group of three stood in slight awe, not being used to all the praise. They were just doing what they saw best. There was no need to be thanked.

"It's our pleasure, really." Louis explained. "We want to help."

"We actually learned a lot during our stay here." There was a light smile upon Emma's face as he spoke. The dark auras … learned something? What exactly could they have learned?

"All around the world ones like you are given a bad name." Tim spoke up, noticing the confusion upon their faces. "From Ads to commercials, online and in person. Society has painted the dark aura holders as vicious and evil, harming anyone around them." While most of the younger camp members stood widened eyed, Julius and Helmut's were narrowed. They already knew they were outcasts within society, but now their discrimination was this bad…? Who was the one to flip that switch?

"While we didn't necessarily believe those claims, breaking society's rules in our own little town, there is always some sort of truth behind the claims." Louis continued to explain, a light smile resting upon his face as he continued. "Coming here, we were able to see, for ourselves, that you weren't what they painted you to be."

"Th-That means a lot... Th-Thank you, G-Grazie." Julius stuttered his words, unknown how to respond to the… complement they were just given. Would that be considered a compliment? Either way, Julius was taken back by the three's words.

"It's nothing, really." Emma spoke up, a smile still planted upon her face. She was a smiley girl, wasn't she? Just as the mood was beginning to fall so the conversation could move on, Helmut's rough words plummeted the mood to rock bottom.

"The computer was built for a reason. Can we get to that now?"

"Already on top of it." The group turned towards Leon in surprise. The small device that he's held onto for so long was resting within a port, uploading all of it's information to the main machine. Within seconds, a bar popped up in the center of the screen. Quickly, the bar shot to full, before disappearing. Before anyone could question it, the screen seemed to flash before the entire computer turned black. The group glanced at each other in worry. Black couldn't have been a good thing, right…? Did they… break it…?

All their questions were quickly answered as a single acronym, in bold lettering appeared upon the screen. D.A.R.C.S.

"Darcs?" Arthur questioned, pronouncing the word as one would to that of 'Darks'.

"Dark Aura Research of Corruption for Salvation." Leon blandly explained, as if saying the name, alone, brought up old memories. The camp members blinked at the name, prompting the outsiders' leader to speak up.

"Don't let the name fool you. D.A.R.C.S. is the one behind all this anti-Dark Aura propaganda." All attention was pulled over to the group of three that had yet to leave.

"You don't mind if we stay, do you?" Louis questioned softly.

"We could help each other out! I mean, the more we know about Dark Auras the more help we can be at back home." Emma smiled, trying to get the camp members to agree. And, it was working. A large smile pulled upon Julius' face as he quickly nodded. He loved the idea more than he should.

"Sì! Yes, please! Any help is great help!" While the three outsiders stood in a mix of surprise and joy, Helmut wasn't too keen on the idea. From the back of the large group, his narrowed eyes fell upon the colored auras. How much longer do these three plan on helping? They could only do so much in the position they were in. To the German, it would be better to kick them out than let them stay. Sometimes, too much information was damaging. The next thing they know, their supplies were being cut.

While it bothered the long haired German, there wasn't much he could do. He didn't speak up, already knowing the lost cause within the argument. Julius wasn't going to change his mind. If he thought it was for the best, it was for the best.

Once conversation had ceased, all eyes turned back to the computer. A new screen had finally loaded in showing off two simple blank bars with the acronym of a logo resting upon them. While there was confusion among the group, Leon knew exactly what he was doing. Rested his fingers upon the keyboard, Leon quickly began typing into the bars upon the screen. Once he finished, however, the screen faded black. The group glanced at one another, trying to understand what was going on. However, a new screen rapidly loaded, one that was much more detailed compared to the previous screens.

The main, and biggest, part of the screen comprised of a giant world map with 12 red dots littering 6 of the 7 giant landmasses. There were three separate sections upon the screen; the top, the bottom and the left sides of the screen. Along the top of the screen simply rested the Logo once again. On the left side of the screen, there were 4 separate boxes; Info, History, Second Soul, and Settings. And, along the bottom, there held 2 separate rectangles. The one on the left was faded slightly and could be typed into, almost like a search bar. Resting in the bottom right corner was simply a name, Lei, Siu Chun; p701.

"This is, like, the database the company uses. This is will give you more information than anything Erika could have gotten her hands on." Leon turned back to the group to speak.

"How does it work?" Helmut questioned, folding his arms across his chest.

"Depends on what you want to know."

"You could look me up so to show them." Erika's voice spoke up, pulling the male's eyes over to her. Leon looked at the female for a solid second or two before shrugging. Turning back to the computer, he rested his hand upon the smaller pad that worked like a mouse.

"Where were you?"

"The Beta building." Erika simply said. Leon's mouse moved across the screen before clicking a red dot within the middle of the North American continent. A new screen was quick to appear. The name 'Beta Building' rested along the top while three clickable options laid below; Workers, Children, and History. Each held a number underneath, indicating how many were in each category. Leon clicked on the History before another window appeared. This one had a scroll bar on the side and a search bar on the top.

"Vogel." The female gave Leon her last, allowing him to type it within the search bar. Upon hitting enter the screen rapidly shot down to the 'V's, placing Erika's information in the center. The information was very simple, just a picture from when she first arrived, her name; last, then first, the letter p followed by a string of 3 numbers, and her current status. Leon paused, his eyes glancing back towards the group, making sure they were ready for his explanation.

"Each of the red dots represents a building. There is, at least, one on every major landmass. Though, everyone within this camp should have, like, come from one of three buildings; Alpha, Beta, and Delta. If you click on one of the dots it will pull up three options. The 'Worker' tab shows a list of every worker that is both currently working there or was in the past. The 'Children' tab shows a list of only the current children within the building. And, the 'History' tab holds the record for any, and every kid that used to be, like, held within the building. Even if they moved to become a worker."

"It's like a giant database..." Julius' eyes scanned the screen as he spoke softly. So much information… All at their fingertips. Yet, that company has been using this for years. They knew so much more. And now, so will they.

"Yes. Once you find whoever you're looking for a new screen will, like, pop up. That new screen will have information in much more detail." As Leon spoke, he clicked on Erika's bar to show the group what he was talking about. "While you can look at anything you want on this screen, the data that everyone cares the most about is, like, this little part down here." Moving the mouse as he spoke, Leon pulled up a new screen. And, this is when everyone's eyes widened.

Present upon the screen was an outline of a body and two graphs; one was labeled 'Standing' while the other was labeled 'Released'. Since this was Erika's information, her first bar was about half way, while her second bar was only about a fourth. The body, simply labeled 'Threat Level', was shaded a light shade of green. All anyone did was stare. So much information that they had no idea on how to read. However, that's where Leon came in.

"This is what the facilities care about. The diagrams are, actually, rather simple to read. The body changes color in real time. All it is there for is to let the leaders of the building know how dangerous and aggravated the worker is getting. The graphs along the side are our 'Soul Level', as they like to call it.

"Soul level?" Ludwig questioned, trying to understand the picture present in front of him. Leon turned to him to answer his question.

"The aura that we give off comes from the soul inside of us, but you all, like, knew that already. However, that aura also gives off a power of sorts. The more power you have the more dangerous and unstable you become." Leon turned back to the computer to continue. "Erika's level isn't considered high, but it's slightly above normal; for both bars. What the company considers 'normal' levels, is about halfway on the first bar, and about a fourth on the second. Anything below that is considered 'weak' and anything above, depending on how much above, is ranked 'high' all the way up to 'unstable'."

Exiting out of the window, Leon backed out of the database to moved the screen back to the home map.

"All you need is a name and the building, and you can find anybody."

Taking this opportunity, Julius pushed himself up to the screen. His eyes scanned across the surface, wanting to take in as much as he could. However, a finger slowly rose as he pointed to the four boxes along the left hand side.

"What are these?"

"Those are just, like, informational tabs. Info is a basic summary of what this organization is all about, only giving you what they want you to believe, of course. History is totally self explanatory. Second Soul is a tab that explains our second souls. And-"

"Wait. Explains…?" Arthur spoke up, pulling all eyes over to him. "What do you mean by explains?" The two once undercover agents glanced at one another, silently having a conversation. And, that's when Erika stepped forwards to explain.

"The entire company revolves around our second souls. It would only be natural for them to dig into the topic and research it. And, that's exactly what they did. Everything you have ever wanted to know about our second souls can be found under that tab." The Liechtensteiner pointed at that simple tab, pulling everyone's eyes over to it. One small, little electronic tab… It held so much information. So much unknown information. And, everything was right in front of them…

"How does it compare to what we know...?" Helmut questioned, his voice wavering slightly. He tried to cover up his slight fear, yet it showed through. It was almost as if he was too afraid to ask.

"What we know, compared to them, is like comparing a worm to a bird. The could eat us for breakfast." Leon explained, bring the room to silence. They were… clueless compared to this company. But… What exactly about…? What else do they have yet to learn…?

The silence was quickly broken as the sound of footsteps entered the tent. All heads were dragged over to the entrance, only to blink. Walking in, with a silver case in hand, was none other than Elizabeta. The more they looked upon the case, the more and more familiar it grew to three of the camp members. That case… Why was it so familiar to them? Was it… Was it the same one she had when they came to rescue them years ago?

"I finally found it." The female glanced up, frozen under the eyes of the large group staring at her. She didn't expect everyone to stare.

"Danke, Elizabeta. Bring it here." Helmut spoke, his voice slowly pulling the female over to him. Quickly, she shook herself from her daze, before pulling the case up to rest on the table that sat nearby. "Leon, Erika." The two said blinked, glancing back over at the older German as he called for them. They followed as Helmut moved his way towards the case. His fingers slipped the case unlocked, popping open the lid. "Would either of you happen to know what these are?"

Glancing in, the layout was rather organized. The foam seemed to cover the entirety of it, except for the perfectly cut holes to keep the items inside protected. Those objects were five vials filled with blue liquid, that gave off a light glow, and five perfectly identical crystals attached to a fine piece of string to be like a necklace. While most members within the tent looked with curiosity, both Leon and Erika's eyes grew wide.

"How..." Erika began to speak, the words getting caught within her throat. Slowly, Leon's hands fell to one of the vials, his fingers slowly brushing over it. Carefully, he grabbed onto the glass, pulling it out from the foam to get a better look. They've never seen anything like it before. But... If it is what they're thinking off then...

"How did you get these?" Leon quickly questioned, speaking as he never heard a continuation from the female. The large group blinked upon seeing their reactions. They did know so... How bad was this case...?

Slowly, Elizabeta spoke up to answer the man's question.

"Almost right after you two went undercover, we had a rescue mission on Delta. Thanks to one of our other agents we were informed that these were being stored within that building. Wanting to get ahead of the game, I went out of my way to grab them." Taking a small step forward, Helmut continued the explanation.

"He told us these were to be shipped off to Alpha within the next couple of days, and that, whatever these are, were supposed to be very powerful." The room stood in silence, both parties taking in the information presented to them. What could these things do...? What was this organization planning on doing with them...?

Breaking the silence, the Asian swore within his native tongue. It actually caught some of the members off guard. While they had no idea on what was exactly said, it was pretty clear of the intent. His eyes scanned over the liquid, feeling it roll within his fingers. Slowly raising it, he watched the light of day give the liquid an added glow to what it already had.

"So... What are they, exactly?" Julius questioned, speaking up through the ever growing silence.

" _A.C.G._ " Leon spoke simply, not removing his eyes from the vial. Erika promptly sighed at her coworker's simplicity. Turning to the large group, the Liechtensteiner began to explain Leon's vague statement.

"These crystals are known as Alpha Control Gems. This company isn't very... keen on making friends. To them, our other side is simply a tool. A tool that they can, and are, using for their own personal gain."

The room fell into a very tense silence. Worry filled the two camp leader's face while the other simply looked uncomfortable. While the three outsiders didn't understand as well, they could still tell that whatever was happening, it wasn't good. Julius glanced over to Helmut to meet eye to eye. A very silent, and straight to the point conversation was underway. The one thing on their minds was one in the same. And it was cut and dry. This organization needs to go.

"The thing is," Leon forced himself back into the conversation, getting all eyes to look upon him. "If they get their hands on these crystals there is, like, no longer hope for us."

"W-What do you mean…?" Julius quietly questioned, worry continuing to fill his eyes.

"The crystal and liquid are both specially created for one sole purpose; control. In basic terms, a coated crystal forces the second soul down. It puts them at the will of the host soul They follow the command of the host, no matter how harsh it is or how uncomfortable it makes them feel."

"That…" Gilbert's dry throat made it rather difficult for him to speak, but his point got across.

"It's so painful... For both souls..." Erika glanced down. "They run a perfect relationship into something that is basically abuse..." Seeing the small female begin to shake, Elizabete pulled away from the table to comfort her.

"They don't use these, right...? I mean, if we managed to grab them before they could be shipped off, doesn't that mean everyone is okay?" Arthur spoke up, pulling all eyes over to him. While most instantly perked up in realization, Leon's face said otherwise.

"No."

"No...?" Ludwig spoke up, echoing the Asian in front of them. Leon nodded his head.

"In those facilities, every dark aura worker wears a crystal. The only thing different about the ones you managed to grab and the ones they're currently using, is the level of control. Their current crystals are at such a basic level that all it does it help suppress the second soul until needed. With, like, enough will, the soul can still break through. With the Alpha gems, if they try to break through, it will, basically, destroy them."

The room faded as everyone stood in silence, unknown what to say. Unknown what to think. There was so much information that they did not know. So much... harm and abuse going on that it was a surprise that the government was okay with allowing their people to be hurt like that. Nothing was making sense... What did this company want? Why were they hurting these kids? What are they trying to get their hands on?

Breaking the silence, a quiet yawn from the Albino bounced throughout the tent. His yawn determined the time that now rested within the sky. Glancing at one another, everyone held tired, glossy eyes. Of course, that only meant one thing.

"I think that's a good of a sign if any." Julius spoke up, pulling a nod from the other leader within the tent. "All of you can go rest. It's been a long day." There was a collective nod as many began to exit the tent. Glancing over at the German leader, Elizabeta was giving the go ahead to lead Erika out of the tent. He had no problem grabbing the case himself. Once all the camp members left the tent, Julius quickly turned towards the three non-dark aura residents, coming eye to eye with all of them.

"I just want to say, thank you. To all of you. We couldn't have been able to do any of this if it wasn't for your help." The three blinked by the continuous appraisal. Never, in their entire life, had they been praised as much as they were here. However, Tim stepped forwards, offering a hand. Julius quickly took it, shaking hands with the man.

"There is no need for thanks. The whole town was very eager for us to go on this trip." Helmut glanced back over at the three, just as curious as Julius was to know what he meant. "Living in the world that we are, information is scarce. If the government doesn't want us to know, we don't. That's, sadly, how we live. To us, learning what we did was just as helpful as us building you this computer."

"If anything, we should be thanking you!" Emma blurted out, pulling all eyes over to here. Behind her, stood Louis, his head firmly nodding along with the female.

Turning his eyes back to the tall male, Julius came eye to eye with him. There was so much to know. So much to ask. So little time. However, with a smile upon his own face, Julius spoke.

"Once this is all over, we will be needing another favor for you all. Your entire town." The three blinked, yet Julius continued. "Once this is all over, teach us the outside working of the world. I want your entire town to help. Help us let the world know, we're not to be feared."

It took Tim a second to process what was being asked, however, with a light smile upon his face, a nod fell from his head.

"Of course."

* * *

 **~Italian~  
** **Grazie-Thank you  
** **Sì-Yes**

 **~Dutch~  
** **Ja-Yes**

* * *

 **I'm sorry this one is so late! I had this chapter done for so long and I just got so busy and I couldn't get around to publishing it! I'm so sorry! ;-;  
** **But! I did get this one done and I'm getting really excited! This story will begin wrapping up soon and I'm super excited for you all to see! When I mean soon, I mean, like, at least 5 more chapters. Then again, what do I really know :/**

 **Anyway, t** **hank you for following and adding this story to your favorites, it means a lot! Reviews are always appreciated, of course~  
** **If I've made any grammar/spelling mistakes, or if you speak a language that was used and I have made a translation mistake, please inform me and I will fix it as soon as possible.**

 **Until next time, happy reading~ ^^**


	22. Chapter 22

All was quiet within the camp. The night had finally taken hold of the sky, changing the scenery around the camp. To avoid being caught during the night, the only light that was available came from the moon above. The small amount of machinery they had within the camp, limited to mainly their newly made generator, was shut down, drowning the camp in silence. Hours would clock by without a peep within the night. However, that wasn't the case for one of the tents. At first glance, everything seemed normal; eyes were closed and the breathing was light, everything looked to be going well. But, every once and a while, there would be a rough toss of a body. Breathing would speed up before resting back to normal. The farther into the night it grew, the more restless the man was becoming. Tossing. Turning. Rapid breathing. Sweating.

 _Running. His breathing was heavy, his lungs craving the cold air that seemed to flow right on by. A trip. A tumble. That's all it would take. That's all it would take for him to fall prey. Fall prey to the predator. So, he ran. Ran and ran. Ignoring the shouts within his head to fight back. Ignoring the begs to let this all pass. Ignoring his_ own _words that promised it would all be over soon. No. He wasn't going to just give up! He wasn't going to fall prey! No! That's wan't him! He wanted to run. Run and keep running. Like he has every night since the rescue._

 _As if caught by his own mind, his body came crashing down to the floor. Yet, to his surprise, what he landed upon wasn't the ground he was running before. Instead of dirt, it was cold and dark. His sky blue eyes darted around. They were frightened. Where had his chaser gone now? Yet, no matter how hard he looked, the man was nowhere to be seen. No usher of sigh could be exhaled as the sound of crying began to echo within the area. The man's eyes widened, his head darting around him to find the source. And once he did, he stopped._

 _Sitting upon the ground, his knees curled up to his chest, was a young boy. Blond and small. His body shaking as he cried softly. Curiosity took over the man, his hands helping him to his feet. He slowly made his way to the boy, his hand slowly reaching out to him. He fingers gently placed themselves upon his shoulder, jerking the boy's head up. His eyes, a bright violet. The man had no time to speak as the young male began mumbling. A mumble, yet audible enough to hear._

 _"He. Him. The man. The man in my head is real. They tried to help. They just made him angry." Looking upon the boy, a shiny metal caught the man's eye. Something. It was holding him. A chain. To where? Could he save him? Could he free the child? His eyes followed the chain. And, what laid mer yards away, was a body. Laying upon his side, the long haired man faced away from the young child._

 _"Years. Years. We were friends. They took him._ Broke _him. Broke_ me _." The man's sky blue eyes fell back upon the boy. However, he stumbled to the ground in fright. The boy's body shook erratically. Twitching. Shaking. His eyes no longer purple, but a bottomless pit of black. A scream caused the man to jump. But it wasn't from the boy. No. It was from the body laying a ways away. Quickly turning towards the once laying body, the blue eyed man froze._

 _The man was on his knees, his head upon the floor, and his hands grabbing the sides of his head. Screaming. Crying. His hair laid upon the floor in disarray. His body shook. His voice broke as he shouted. The chain upon his ankle glowed blue. Another shot from the ground to latch upon his once freed ankle. He screamed. His head shot up, eyes desperate for help. And that's when he became recognizable. The man that the blue eyed man fought. Fought side by side with his friend._ That was the man.

 _He too seemed to recognize the man standing in front if him. His hands reaching for help. The standing man stood frozen, not wanting to help. He was scared. He was frightened. He was_ terrified _. Metal clamped down around the hand reaching for help, pulling it down to the ground. The man screamed. The man cried. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His once angered filled eyes now covered with fear. A light shoved through the dull within the purple eyes if the captive. His hair shot short, no longer reaching passed his shoulders. His only free hand shout forwards as he cried. As he screamed._

 _"Alfred! Alfred! Help me! Please! It hurts! Brother! Help me!" That cry. That cry for help. Matthew... Matthew! Just as the blue eyes man ran to help, his childhood friend was pulled before the ground, his screams ringing through the barren land._

 _Then. It all just... faded._

A body shot up, blue eyes widening in fear. His heart. His lungs. His face. Hot. Heavy. Wet. The American's chest was in pain, his lungs gasping for air. Streams of tears rolled down his cheeks. Sweat dropped to his shoulders, the top of his shirt covered. His hand slowly rose to his chest, feeling his heart race. Glancing around him, everyone laid asleep. All still dreaming away to their heart's content. But, he could no long rest. No. That face. That _screaming_ and _pained_ face within his dream. It was burnt into his brain.

With a growl of annoyance Alfred threw his blanket off before quickly, but silently, making his way out of the tent. A breeze of chill air quickly greeted the American, allowing him to relax with a deep exhale. Glancing up at the sky above, Alfred simply stared at the millions of stars that littered the night sky. A faint memory played within his mind. Two families, two kids, one night under the stars. Where they were didn't compare to the sky above him now. Out here was… It was beautiful…

As his mind wonder through memories, Alfred let his feet carry him. He didn't know where he was going nor did he care. All of his focus was stuck, lost in the memory of the past. A past with _Matthew_.

What felt like hours had passed before his wondering came to a halt. Turning back towards the camp, Alfred's back fell against the rocky wall that kept everyone contained. Slowly, his body slid to the ground, allowing all the tension in his muscles to relax and breath. With a sigh, the American closed his eyes and laid his head against the rocky wall behind him. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he _pushed_ to forget, the nightmare wouldn't leave his thoughts.

 _Matthew_... Is he really in that much pain...? Is he being hurt? Tormented? God... If only he could have saved him... If only he was _strong_ enough... but... he wasn't... He couldn't save his own _brother_ … It's all his fault... _Everything_ …

' _Hey! Are you listening to me?! Hello! Earth to Alfred!'_ Said American blinked. Quickly opening his eyes, the blond rapidly scanned his surroundings for the source. Yet, no one was around. ' _It's me, you asshole!'_ That's when Alfred relaxed his tense shoulders. For a minute, he thought someone had come after him. He really didn't want to deal with anyone right now…

"Why are you yelling at me?" The blond's hand rose to his head, rubbing his forehead lightly in pain from his second soul's shouts.

' _What else was I supposed to do? You were ignoring me!'_ The voice in his head shouted once more, getting the American to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Well, you got my attention _now_. What do you want?" His words came out a bit harsher than he would have normally liked. Not have enough patience to care, his second soul continued to talk, his voice much softer than it was previously.

' _I remember that boy. The small one. He meant a lot to you, didn't he?'_ Alfred sat in silence, his head lowered towards the ground. _Matthew_... Slowly reaching into his coat pocket, the American pulled out the pair of slightly dusty goggles. His fingers glazed across the glass, trying to wipe away the dust build up. This was the pair that came within the package from his parents. The goggles that belonged to Mr. Williams. The goggles that Matthew loved to play with...

"Yeah... Mattie was like a brother to me... Before we were taken we played together all the time. I would visit him and he would visit me. He was the brother I never had..."

' _He was taken away, wasn't he? By the bad man in the facility?'_ Alfred chuckled to himself as his second soul spoke. 'Bad men'. That's what he used to call them when he was held against his will. Tonight was just a trip down memory lane, wasn't it?

"Taken and killed. That's what I was told..."

' _You were told?'_

"Yeah… They ripped him away from me and left me alone to cry… When Elizabeta came to rescue us Yao and I tried to run away from the group, trying to find our brothers. But, she forced us along, claiming they were more likely dead than alive…"

' _But, no one has any idea what actually happened to them, do they?'_

"No..." Silence was quick to fill his head, his memories overtaking the second soul's presence. He remembered the first time he and Matthew were thrown into that building. He remembered creating a family with two of the older Europeans within. He remembered the night they were pulled out of their room, being forced to march within the bright white rooms for inspection. The screaming and crying, the pulling and shoving.

 _The sturn butt of the gun was shoved against his gut, forcing the young American to the ground. An arm ripped away from his hands, trying to to keep him from being taken. Trying to keep him from leaving. The child within the arms of the men trashed about, trying to remove himself. Trying to rush back over to his brother. Screaming. Crying. Men flocked the American to keep him down. The two other teens threw themselves upon the men, trying to stop them from hurting the blond. Yet, they themselves were quickly shoved to the ground, holding them down to prevent them from moving. Two men moved upon the American, shoving his face against the ground below. He screamed. He cried. Tears streamed down his face. He trashed about, trying to get the men off of him. Yet, it was no use… Screaming and crying, the two brothers were seperated…_

' _Alfred?'_ Snapping back into reality, the American shook his head to clear his thoughts of his past. ' _What was that?'_

"I was just… thinking. Got lost in memories…" Closing his eyes, the American rested his head against the rocky wall once more. His brain, his thoughts, kept trying to pull his focus back to his memories. Back to his past. However, he managed to stay level headed.

' _Well… I know this is out there, but why can't we go and check for him?'_ Alfred's eyes slowly opened, blinking in confusion. Check... Check... Check for his brother…? How? And then, it hit him.

The computer. The computer that they had built with the help of some outside force. While he didn't know much, his second soul in control of his body while he was resting, he could guess from what he's heard. He could find anyone on that device.

Without a second thought, Alfred shoved himself away from the rocks. There was a chance! There was a possibility that Matthew was still alive! Just thinking about it made his heart jump. His brother... for 10 whole years... There was a chance he was alive this entire time. Alfred sprinted across the camp, no longer caring if he woke anyone. All that was set upon his mind was his brother.

Rushing into the designated tent, the American slowed his run down to a walk. His breath finally escaping his body. Upon quickly steadying his breathing, the American slowly made his way up to the computer. His fingers hovered above the keys, his eyes scanning the machine. This was it.

 _Matthew... If you are alive... I'll come and save you._

Moving his finger across the computer, he slowly rested his hand upon the power button. With a deep breath, he powered on the machine and waited. However, no matter how long he waited, nothing happened. And that made Alfred blink. Pressing the button once more, Alfred waited. Once again, nothing happened. Why wasn't it working...? And then, it hit him. The generator wasn't on. There was no way in _hell_ he could search his brother if he had no power! And from what he was told, the generator ran on solar energy.

 _Fuck! God damnit!_ His slammed his fists against the machine in anger. He was so close! He was so close to finding out about his brother. There's no way he could wait till morning! He wanted to know if Matthew was alive right now!

Suddenly, the screen flickered, pulling up Alfred's eyes in confusion. The screen began to flicker before slowly fading in upon a login screen. The only problem with this, was that it was dead silent. There was not a single sound in the night, not even the generator could be heard. So... What was powering the computer...?

His body was forced to its knees, his entire body feeling much weaker than before. His hands were barely able to keep a grip upon the machine. It felt like all the energy was being pulled from his body, making him feel weaker and weaker by the second. What the hell was happening?

Turning his attention back to the computer, his body just barely responding to his will, the American grew upset at device. A login? Where the hell was he going to get that from? However, just as he questioned the screen, it flickered once screen glitch for a couple of second as Alfred watched in confusion. Every time the screen flashed a new letter appeared within the box. As time went on the faster the letters appeared and the faster the boxes filled. Suddenly, it stopped. Both boxes filled the screen seemed to only glitch around the arrow. What the hell just happened…?

Just barely managing to push himself up, Alfred was surprisingly able to keep himself steady as he stood. His hand slowly grazed across the keyboard, his fingers landing upon the enter button upon the right hand side. Glancing around, Alfred slowly pressed the key down. The screen quickly flicked away. Very slowly, the logo of what he could only guess to be the company they were fighting against faded upon the screen. The bar underneath quickly shot full before the main menu of the program faded in.

The American teen stood in confusion. His body was weak. There was not a single sound in the night, yet the computer was running. Not to mention, he was somehow able to bypass the login screen. What the _fuck_ was going on...? To his surprise, Alfred got a response to his question.

' _D-Did that help…?'_ A voice, very faint in the back of his head. His second soul had spoken up to answer his question. But he sounded so... _weak_?

"Are you okay?" Alfred quietly questioned, worry in his voice. Simply speaking was a struggle for his body, his voice being so faint... However, he got no response. The American knew he was there, yet the soul wasn't responding. Was he really that weak that he couldn't respond so easily...?

Alfred's eyes slowly fell back upon the computer once more. Screen on and loaded, ready to be used, yet without a source of power… Wait a second. Was... Was it possible that...

"Dude... Are you powering the computer?"

' _I-I guess I am...? I-I mean... You wanted to find your brother a-and I wanted to help... I-I just kinda… pushed._ ' The first thought within Alfred was his worry for the second soul. He sounded so faint and weak. He has used his energy to power the computer just so he could find his brother. While he was told children with a dark aura had a power level to them, he didn't think they meant it like this. However, this discovery only caused thoughts to race within the American's mind. Their second souls, they held power. Power that could match that of their opposers. This was… This was _incredible_! Imagine if they could be fighting on equal ground! Equal grounds of power and equal grounds of technology. There was so much… So much that they didn't know… So much _untapped potential_ within them. So much _power_.

' _Alfred.'_ Suddenly, the stern voice of his other sould broke through Alfred's raging thoughts, snapping him back into reality once more. The American blinked, looking back at the computer. The tone he used… Was his second soul… Upset at him…? For what? ' _I don't like it when you think like that. It makes me feel… All uneasy and shit…'_

"A-Alright… Sorry, man." As the night clocked on the more and more confused Alfred became. What was going on with his soul? He was uneasy when he began thinking about the power they held together. He seemed, dare he say, _frightened_ over it? If so, why? Why would he be frightened…?

Shaking his head, Alfred quickly moved on with the task at hand. While he was still weak from before, he was able to navigate the program. Alfred was never there when Leon explained to the group how the program worked, his mind still resting behind his other as he healed. So, everything was guesswork from here on out.

After a couple seconds in figuring out how to use the layout before him, Alfred moved the mouse across the screen towards one of the many red dots upon the map. Simply hovering the mouse a little box appeared, reading the name _Alpha_. Right. The buildings had names. If the American teen could remember correctly, him and his friends were told they were held up in the _Delta_ building.

After a bit of trial and error, Alfred finally came across the correct dot. Clicking on it, a screen with three options appeared. _Workers, Children,_ and _History_. Instantly, Alfred moved the cursor to the _History_ tab, quickly pulling up a complete list. It would make sense that they would be in the _History_ tab, as they are no longer present within the building.

Quickly, the blond began scrolling, trying to get down the list. Since it was going by last name, Alfred had to get done to the W's to even begin searching. After for what felt like hours, he finally came to the letter, slowing his search to read the names better. William... William... William, Matthew. Matthew. And then, he found him.

William, Matthew. P0401. The picture present was old, taken when they first arrived to the building. However, what caught the American off guard was the word rested next to the series of numbers. _Transferred_. Transferred… What did that mean? There was only one explanation Alfred was thinking it could mean. And if it was… Quickly, the American clicked upon the word. The window he was on quickly disappeared before directing him over to the Beta building's database. Shooting up the worker's tab, the list shot down before pulling up an individual window. Now resting upon the screen was the information for none other than Matthew.

Alfred's eyes slowly widened. Matthew... He... H-He was alive! He was actually alive! After all these years it turns out he was alive?! Quickly, his eyes shot to the picture, wanted to see. Wanting to know what he had grown to be. However, what he saw upon the screen caused him to stand still, frozen in fear. The picture... Alfred began to shake, the fear overwhelming him. His legs began to quiver as his hands increased their grip upon the computer. His eyes simply stared as the screen, widening. Long, messy blond hair, pulled back into a rather messy ponytail. His dull violet eyes staring through the picture, a bored expression upon his face. That picture… That _man_ … That was... No... No! It isn't true! No! It can't be! That picture. That man. That man was...

' _That's the one we fought with Yao, isn't it? I recognize that bastard.'_ His second soul spoke up, a growl present within his voice. But, he was right. The one that they fought… The one that him and Yao fought… They tore that man to shreds for even proposing the _idea_ of keeping Erika. Yet, all along, that was Matthew…? He… _Him_ … He _hurt_ him… He hurt his own _brother_ …

"W-What do I do…? I found him, _we_ found him. But… He's working against us…"

' _Listen…'_ His voice was soft, like he was trying to figure out how to speak to the host, what words to use and how to say them. ' _I don't know the kid like you do. But, I can feel your emotions. We're one, right? Even though I know that you don't wanna hear it, we can't do anythin' about it. If he's against us, he's against us.'_ Alfred paused, his eyes refusing to leaving the picture in front of him. The man they fought was his brother… God… They were so close… They were so close to being reunited… If only…

"Alfred…?" Quickly, the American's head shot towards the entrance of the tent. To his surprise, standing with the fabric pulled to the side, was none other than Arthur and Francis. They looked at him with worry in their eyes. No longer wanting to see the concern within their eyes, Alfred's head turned back upon the screen with sadness. Taking a glance at one another, the two Europeans stepped further into the tent. Their attention was quickly dragged to the lit up screen, causing them to pause their walk towards the American. The first question that grew from the discovery was how the hell the device was being powered. However, the main question quickly took hold of the two's thoughts. What was he looking at that made him look so down?

Taking a quickly glance at the other, Francis took a step forward to begin the conversation. They could feel the tension radiating from the American as he rested against the top of the computer. Maybe if they changed the subject, taking his attention away from the device, maybe he would feel better.

"What are you doing up so late in the night?" Francis advanced just far enough to place his hand upon the American's shoulder to comfort him. Unlike they had hoped, Alfred did not speak. His eyes were staring at his hands, their grip slowly increasing around the base of the computer. Swallowing slowly, the Frenchman took another approach. "You can talk to us, Alfred. We're family through this all." That initiated a spark within the American. His head slowly rose to look upon the screen. Quickly, the two others followed suit.

"Do you remember… Remember earlier this month? Before we went on that rescue mission…?" The two Europeans were slightly surprised upon hearing his voice respond, yet sat quiet and listened in into what he has to say. "I was given a package."

Just as the Englishman was about to respond, Francis quickly covered his mouth with his hand. The two met eye to eye, narrowed in anger at one another. The Frenchman shook his head, raising his finger to his lips to shush the loud mouth. With irritation within his eyes, Arthur followed his ally's command and remained silent as he removed his hand.

Looking back at the American, their eyes watched as he removed the pair of goggles from his neck. His eyes slowly fell upon the goggles, his fingers slowly wrapping around them. His fingers brushed over the glass like he had done earlier, however this time he did not let his emotions overtake him.

"Those were a gift for… _Mathieu_ , _oui_?" The two turned towards the Frenchman, surprised he had remembered, Alfred more than Arthur. While he, himself, had forgotten his brother over the 10 years he had been hiding away at this camp, he had made a vow. Since receiving those goggles he had vowed to never forget his friend, his _brother_ , ever again.

"Y-Yeah…" The American stutter as he started up again. His eyes fell back upon the eyewear as he continued to speak. "I thought he was dead. I thought I had lost him years ago when they ripped him away from my hands."

"You… _thought_ …?" Alfred's eyes slowly rose towards the the screen once more. The two followed his gaze, landing upon the picture of a man. The way he started upon the camera as his picture was being taken made it seem like he was staring right through the screen. Right at the people who were looking at him.

"Matthew is _alive_." Upon hearing those words escape the American's lips, the two guests stood in silence, shock within their eyes. While they don't remember much of the Canadian known as Matthew, the two Europeans _do_ remember the months of depression that fell upon the American as soon as his 'brother' was taken from him. He broke apart, fell down the depths of the darkest pit. So far that he almost didn't have the courage of picking himself back up again. That incident was absolute _hell_ for the two older children. So, for all of that greif to simply be dismissed and no long valid… It was ridiculous.

"H-How…?" Francis was the first to speak up. Alfred's eyes slowly fell back upon the Frenchman, worry in his eyes.

"I-I don't know… B-But when I was looking I found something… When Yao and I came back all bloodied and broken, ready to fall apart at the snap of a finger… The man we fought… T-That was _Matthew_ …" Instantly, both Europeans' eyes went wide.

"Bloody Hell!"

"You're kidding me!"

"Not at all…"

"He… works for them…?"

"I guess that's why they pulled him away… To _recruit_ him…" Alfred's eyes fell back to the computer, his head falling upon his chest.

"Alfred…" Arthur's eyes fell as he looked upon the American. One thing that never really showed itself upon the blond, was sadness. So, when it managed to shove its way through, everyone around him was pulled down with. For the first time in a while, the rather angry Brit pushed passed his nature to comfort the American rather than yelling at him.

Slowly, and rather awkwardly, the Englishman walked up to the American before moving against him. His right arm wrapped around the other, his hands resting upon his arm before slowly rubbing his fingers against his sleeve. It's been quite a while since the Brit has had to comfort anyone. And now that the American was taller than he was, it was much harder to do. However, Arthur was rather surprise as Alfred took the comfort. His head fell upon the Englishman's, a sigh escaping his lips. Arthur's eyes quickly locked in with Francis', concern upon his faces. However, the Frenchman simply smiled, his hands approving his gestures. Closing his own eyes, Arthur rested his own head upon the American, allowing him to simply relax. However, this comfort was rather short lived as Alfred spoke back up.

"I'm going back."

" _Quoi_...?" Pulling his head away from his resting spot, Alfred's attention was forced over to the Frenchman. What Francis was scared to see, was determination in his eyes.

"I'm going back to that building and I'm going to bring Matthew home." Arthur head was quick to remove itself from the American's arm, his eyes in disbelief at what he was hearing. Ignoring what the Frenchman had silently requested moments ago, the Englishman was quick to throw his words back at the man.

"What the _hell_ do you mean you're going to bring Matthew back?!"

"I'm going to make him realize it's me and we can go back to living like a normal family again." Alfred turned to the Brit with narrowed eyes. Arthur was taken back at how stern he was. He was being serious. He was being 100 percent _serious_. He was going to get himself killed!

"You've seen to have forgotten what the hell he did to you and Yao!" Arthur was quick to shout back, forcing a loud sigh of irritate from the Frenchman. He was trying to prevent something like this from happen… "He's not just going to switch back over!"

"What do you know? He only attacked because he didn't _know_! What if he knew?! He wouldn't have attacked me!"

"Yes he would have!"

"Quiet down you two…" Francis spoke up. His hands were raised, his body walking over to the two to try and relax them. To try and get them to lower their voices and calm down. However, the two had other plans for the Frenchman.

Quickly, the American removed his hands from the base of the computer, forcing the screen to flash back to black. His hands were quick to place upon the Frenchman's chest, shoving him back with great force. Such a force that it actually knocked the wind from the man's lungs. With a gasp in shock, the Francis grabbed his chest, his heart beating in pain. It was… It hurt… The force, the _strength_. Why was it so powerful and why was it leaving such a harsh, lingering pain. Glancing back up at the two, his eyes quickly widened.

Both of their auras were quickly expand, the black color seeping from their skin. It was almost at the point of overlapping. Never, in his whole life had he seen such an expel of aura like he was seeing now. The more the two argued, the larger their auras grew. It was almost as if they were growing off of their anger.

Slowly, Francis staggered backwards, his hand gripping the shirt around his heart. It hurt. Every beat was a new pain within his chest. Wh-What…? Why? Moving his eyes towards his chest, Francis' eyes widened in horror. His own chest began to glow black, the color seeping onto his hand clutching around his heart. He could _feel_ the aura seeping out from his own skin, the pain that it brought with. He could… _He_ was trying to push through. The voice… The pain… The headache… His second soul wanted _out_.

The two English speaking males continued to argue, their auras growing more and more. However, the more and more they yelled the more pain Francis fell into. Staggering backwards, the Frenchman lost his footing, his body quickly falling towards the ground below. But, he never made it. Instead, his body fell against another, the other wrapping their arms around the Frenchman to prevent him from falling.

"Are you alright, Francis?" That voice… Slowly moved his head up, the Frenchman came eye to eye with one of the camp leaders.

" _Julius_ …"

"What are you doing up so early?" Slowly turning his attention, Helmut stood to his right, a stern look upon his face. He seemed pretty pissed about having to be up at such an early hour in the morning.

"And what with all the, like, yelling?" That voice caught the Frenchman by surprise. That was… Glancing towards the other side of the Italian, Francis was rather surprised to see Leon standing alongside them. However, he looked much more awake than the other two. Almost like he wasn't sleeping at all.

No matter what the three asked, the Frenchman had no energy to speak. His heart still pounding in pain. His body still weak. All he could do was move his attention back towards the fighting duo. And what they saw caused the group of three newer males to freeze.

"You know _nothing_ about him!" Alfred's shouts seemed to rock the tent, his anger growing more and more as he yelled. "He is _my brother_! You have _no say_ over what I want to do! _Especially_ if it involves _him_!" The group watched as his eyes quickly shifted over to the dark red color it had been mer months ago. The roots if his hair began to darken to a red-brown color. His second soul was pushing through. His second soul was taking over.

"What you're planning is _reckless_ and could get you _killed_!" Arthur was quick to bite back at the American, his voice shifting more and more he shouted. His bright green color began to fade, shifting over towards a blue like color. And that is when the adults reacted.

Handing the Frenchman over to the Asian for care, the two group leaders shoved themselves over to the two fighting English speakers. Without any fear the two latched themselves onto the angered men, pulling them from the fight; Julius onto Alfred and Helmut with Arthur. Simply pulling them from their close range fight began to dissipate their aura's radius. However, they were still rather large and _powerful_. The two were actually surprised at feeling the strength they led. They, themselves, had to focus to keep sane.

"Let go of me!" Alfred shouted, his body already trying to pull away from the man. However, Julius kept his grip tight, his arms locking around the American's gut, keeping him from moving. Even so, Alfred continued to struggle, his fingers digging at the Italian's arms, trying to break free. Julius was rather impressed at his strength, surprised he was actually able to keep the American at bay.

"Alfred, relax. _Breath_. You're going to cause more trouble than what it's worth." Julius tried speaking gently, his words quiet against the American's ears.

"What are you even fighting over that you have to go and tell the whole camp about?" Helmut spoke up, his voice less kind than his counter. He's never been the kind leader, that was Julius' job. However, Arthur responded to the shock of the group.

"This isn't a fight you can stick your little nose into. So, _stay out of it_." The growl within the Englishman caught the group of guard. His tone held much more of a 'sing-song' feel to it. It was very clear that his second soul was slipping through the cracks of his mind. However, Arthur was one of many remaining camp members that has never allowed their other side to see the light of day. He hasn't even _talked_ about him to such an extent that anything that managed to push its way through was brand new information to everyone else.

"Alfred, think about what you're doing." Arthur's attention was quickly brought back to the American to continue their argument. "We don't need you dying any time soon."

"You have no right to tell me what I can and can't do! He's my _brother_ for fuck's sake! I'm going after him, whether you like it or _not_! And there's _nothing_ you can do to stop me!" With a great deal of force, of which Julius has never felt before, Alfred ripped himself away for the older man. It was very clear his aura was aiding his escape, its radius and intensity growing as he forced himself away. Alfred was forced to stumble away, his feet trying to steady themselves as he ran towards the exit of the tent. With determination in his eyes, he was ready to throw any and everyone out of his way.

Carefully setting the Frenchman down, Leon was quick to jump in front of the rushing American. With hands in his pockets, the Asian was unfazed by Alfred's fit. Something that caused anger within him. Why wasn't he scared? Why was he blocking his way out? He knew _nothing_!

Basicly stomping up to the Asian, the American shoved his body up against the man, surprised that he managed to hold his body still. With narrowed eyes and a growl within his throat, the American spoke harshly at Leon.

"Move it, _punk_."

"Or what?" The group stood, wide eyed at Leon's response towards Alfred. He really was _fearless_ towards the American's fit. There was something he hadn't told the group. The look in his eyes showed experience. He knew what he was doing.

"Or I'll break you. I'll rip you limb from limb so I can throw you aside."

"You'll break me? Break me apart like you did to _him_?" With that simple sentence Alfred fell frozen. The group watched as his aura dissipated into the air around him, the atmosphere already dropping back down to its normal levels. Alfred's appearance quickly began to revert itself, his eyes falling towards the ground. Across the room, Helmut watched as Arthur began to revert himself. His eyes blinked, his senses finally coming back to him.

"I'm sorry… I-I _have_ to go… I just want him to come back…" His voice became shaky as he spoke, his fingers slowly wrapping around the goggles within his hands. The two adults took a quick glance at the other, confusion upon their faces.

Pushing the American back into the main part of the tent, Leon was quick to divert his attention over towards the Frenchman upon the ground. He was looking much better than before, however he was still in some sort of pain.

"H-How…?" Francis spoke softly, curious at how the Asian was able to stop the rampaging American. Leon closed his eyes, his breath quickly releasing, trying to find the right words to use.

"I've had… Practice. Practice with someone back when I was undercover. During his stay he was… prone to a lot of… _fits_." Francis looked at the man with confusion, however didn't press as it was rather clear he would rather keep quiet about. Slowly, his attention was dragged over towards the American, his eyes softening upon seeing his saddened face.

It was at that moment that the two adults realized what was happening. They realized what the American held his fit over. What he was risking his life over. Julius' eyes fell upon Alfred with sadness. Knowing that you'll now be fighting your own relative is a rather hard blow to the mind. You don't want to hurt them, but you'll have to at some point. You _know_ you will. However, Helmut was the one to move towards the American. Slowly, Alfred looked up at the man, coming eye to eye with the German.

"I know what you want to do. You're going to get yourself killed." Julius looked at the German with confusion, however was rather surprised upon hearing Alfred speak up.

"I have to. You don't understand. He's like a brother to me. I can't just forget about him."

"You can't go and save him either." All eyes fell upon Helmut as he spoke up, all but Leon. He knew exactly where this conversation was going. "The people in those facilities… They're not the same. They've changed. He won't recognize you no matter how hard you try to convince them. No matter how hard you push. They will still fight. Fight and destroy you. There's nothing you can do." The way the man spoke his words… Julius knew exactly where he was coming from. But, for the rest of the group, they stood frozen, unknown how to respond. The emotion to his words… Has he…?

The American was quick to jump as a pair if fingers entered his vasuge line of sight. All eyes fell towards the source, finding them to belong to none other than the Asian. Leon slowly brought his fingers to his face, looking at whatever rested between them. And, to the group's surprise, stuck between his two digits was a rather small bug. It's body squirmed, its little feet pushing up against Leon, trying to escape his grasp.

"Dude… Did you just grab that bug out of midair?" Alfred spoke up, rather entertained that he could do such a thing. However, Leon remained silent, examining the insect. He seemed to be rather intrigued by the bug, turning it around his eyes, looking at it at every angle. Something was clearly wrong. Leon was seeing something that made Julius step towards him. However, he never got a chance to see as Leon was quick to smash the bug within his fingers.

Slowly, Leon pulled apart his fingers, ready to examine the remains. What remained on his fingers wasn't liquid, like he was hoping. Instead, they were metal. Small bits and pieces of metal that were quick to fall towards the ground. And that simply little observation caused everyone within the tent to freeze.

Leon's head slowly rose from the remains, coming eye to eye with Julius. His eyes showed fear. Fear and dread. This was the day… The day they never wanted to come into light. The day they had tried their best to prevent from happening. The organization… Their _enemy_ … They had sent that bug. They knew where they were. And now, the enemy was finally taking the offense.

* * *

 ** _~French~  
_ _Mathieu_ -French way for saying Matthew**  
 **O _ui_ -Yes**  
 ** _Quoi_ -What**

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Long time no see once again! I'm sorry it took so long, there's a lot going on and not a lot of time to write. Though, the good news is, there is only a little bit left to go. I'm excited. I hope you all are as well. Anyway, It means a lot that there are still people that care to read this stuff. 20 plus chapters and so many of you have stuck with me. The funny thing is, this story is already two years old, crazy right? Sorry about this taking so long. I was never planning on this taking so long to write. But, I want to make sure it's good for you guys so editing take a little bit.  
** **Thank you for following and adding this story to your favorites~ It means a lot! Reviews are always appreciated, of course~  
If I've made any grammar/spelling mistakes, or if you speak a language that was used and I have made a translation mistake, please inform me and I will fix it as soon as possible.  
Until next chapter, Happy Reading~** **  
**


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